The Honeymoon
by galsbeingpals
Summary: 18 year old Regina has just married King Leopold and they are about to embark on a lengthy honeymoon journey. Trapped in a painful, forced marriage, Regina finds solace in the strangest of places - with a former scullery maid Emma, who has no idea what she is getting herself into. The two women hate each other at first, but begin to develop a strange kind of friendship...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I wrote this more for me than anything else, but I hope you like it, because I'm totally caught up in the story now.

Warning: Rape triggers. (Just like in the show, I might add. I also want to say, this story is not about rape. It starts there because I want to give Regina the chance to deal with the pain from her marriage, something which she is not really given a chance to do on the show. But she will move on, too.)

* * *

THE HONEYMOON

"Rumplestiltskin!"

"My Queen. What a pleasure - though you need not have called so loudly. What can I do for you, dearie?"

"He… I…" Regina stumbled over her words, unable to voice what had just happened.

"It is your wedding night, is it not?"

The grin on his face made the dark haired beauty's stomach churn violently. She gathered her emotions and stood a little taller.

"I require a potion. I am certain you can provide me with a quantity of such a thing."

"And, my dear, what is it that you need this potion to do?"

"To… To prevent me from having his child," Regina whispered.

The hideous imp's eyes widened with glee.

"Well, this is an interesting request. However, I am afraid I cannot comply-"

"No! You must, you must help me. I will do anything… I cannot bring such a child into this life."

"I was not finished. I cannot comply, exactly. Certainly, I can make sure there is no baby. But if I do so, it is very unlikely that there will ever be a baby."

"You are lying. You wish to torture me."

"I am not. But even if I were, your predicament would not be changed. The choice is simple, Your Majesty. Accept my help, or risk having your husband's baby. And if I know King Leopold, he will do everything in his power to ensure you have his baby."

A single tear trickled down Regina's cheek. For there was no choice.

"What is your price?" she asked.

Rumplestiltskin grinned. "Consider it your wedding gift."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "No. With you, there is always a price."

"I will accept nothing. I have a feeling you will pay dearly enough."

"Sign something. I do not trust you," Regina demanded. With a flourish, Rumplestiltskin produced a document out of the air. It was written in intricate detail. Regina read it carefully.

"You knew… You knew I would ask this of you."

"I know you better than you think, dearie. Do you wish to sign?"

He handed her a quill. Running her left hand over her stomach, Regina used her right to scribble her name. Rumple tittered at the movement, then signed his own beneath it.

"How long will it take for you to be ready?" Regina asked, wondering how she would keep the king away from her until then.

"I require no preparation. I brought the necessary tool with me."

"Tool? I thought it would be-"

"There is no potion for this, my dear. Not in this world. You will need to lie down. And you may wish to hold this in your mouth."

He handed her a small piece of wood wrapped in leather. To bite on.

"It will hurt," she stated.

"Yes. I will allow you to change your mind…"

There was an impossible trace of kindness in his eyes.

"No," Regina said quickly. She lay on the floor, staying as far from her bed as possible. Rumple knelt at her side. She put the wood in her mouth, gripping it with her teeth. For a moment, she thought Rumple was about to take her hand. His fingers twitched beside hers, but then he reached into his jacket instead, bringing out his dagger and holding it in both hands. Regina stifled a gasp of fear; she was glad her mouth was occupied.

Rumple nodded at her. She nodded back. To her immense relief, he held the dagger flat over her abdomen. For a moment she had thought… that it would be much worse. He began to chant in a language she did not know, and the dagger glowed a dangerous red. Regina felt a jolt inside her, a jolt which suddenly turned to PAIN. Her eyes streamed, her teeth cut into the leather, her fingernails clawed at the wooden floor. She was being torn apart from the inside out, she was being ripped, violated… And yet, she relished it. For this pain was nothing compared with what she had endured earlier. Rumple was secretly surprised at the strength of the young woman - the girl, in front of him. She was eighteen years old. Of course, he had known what she would ask of him, but he had not expected the courage with which she would go through with the operation.

Finally, he finished, dragging the dagger upwards and holding it aloft until it ceased to glow. Regina lay still, her body covered in a sheen of cold sweat. Rumple wished he had not glanced at her. When he saw her like that, so vulnerable, so brave, so hurt, he almost cared about her. Caring was not a feeling he liked to indulge in.

"If that will be all?"

He did not wait for an answer, disappearing in a puff of black smoke. Regina watched him go, then waited until she had recovered enough strength to stand. She rang the bell for her maid.

It was not long before the bumbling, middle aged woman knocked on her door.

"Enter," she called, imitating the tone her mother used with servants.

"How may I assist you, Your Majesty?" the maid, Johanna, asked.

"I require a bath."

"At this hour?" Johanna could not help but ask.

Regina did not dignify the question with an answer. Johanna hurried to light a fire in the bathroom, as well as the one under the tub. She left to fetch water. Regina's fingers twitched, and for some reason she had the idea of filling it with magic. Her knowledge was pathetically limited, but she could feel… She could feel power in her emotions. She did not allow herself to experiment, however. She was used to waiting, and Johanna returned soon enough, accompanied by two manservants, who poured enormous jugs of water into the tub, then used tongs to take large, hot stones from the fireplace and put them in the water to heat it. It was a bizarre method, but Regina liked the way that the wet stones, when removed from the water again and placed back in the fire, gave the room a steamy quality. Johanna lit some scented candles of her own volition.

"Thank you," Regina said, surprised.

"I… I'm glad you like them," Johanna said. "I found them yesterday, they are a gift."

The sentence admitted nothing, but it made Regina strongly suspect that Johanna knew what she had been subjected to.

"I do not want your pity," she said sternly, but her gratefulness showed through her harsh words.

"It is not pity," Johanna said. "I never had a daughter, but…" she trailed off, blushing.

"What?" Regina asked.

Johanna gritted her teeth, summoning her courage. "You are very young, my Queen. Indeed, you are not much older than the princess. And while you are a Queen, now… I could not begin to put myself in your shoes. But if there is anything I can do to make your life happier, I will do it."

"I…"

"You deserve happiness, Your Majesty."

"My life was not meant to be happy," Regina said, her voice devoid of emotion. Johanna wanted to grab her and hold her. She would have, if she had not been certain that it would mean she lost her job.

"Everyone deserves happiness," she said gently.

"Thank you for the candles," Regina said. Johanna knew this was her cue to leave. She placed a fluffy white towel and robe on a rail by the fire so they would be warm when Regina needed them.

"Ring the bell if you need anything," she said.

"I will be quite alright," Regina said, working on her hard tone, trying to sound kinder. "It is late. You should go to bed."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Johanna said. She left the room, close to tears at the false display of strength. Unlike the imp, she had no shame in caring for the young Queen.

Regina locked the door behind her servant, then pulled off her nightgown. She threw it into a corner, where to her shock, it caught fire, burning to dust in seconds.

"It must have been a spark from the fire," she told herself firmly. She tested the bathwater. It was perfect. It smelled wonderful, too. Another gift from Johanna - she had thrown in handfuls of petals and herbs. Regina climbed into the huge tub, feeling the warm water soak into her skin. She traced her fingers over the nail marks on her hips and legs, her bruised, reddened lips, the marks on her neck and collarbone. She felt a scream bubble at the back of her mouth but swallowed it back down, knowing she could never release it.

She took a rough cloth from the edge of the bath and began to scrub her skin with soap and water. She started with her mouth, swishing water around it, attacking the skin until her lips stung and bled. Her tears flowed freely now there was no one to watch, but she vowed that this would be the last time she cried, even alone. Her mother said crying was weakness of the worst kind. She moved to her jaw, her neck, her shoulders and collarbone… When she reached her most sensitive area, her hands were shaking almost uncontrollably. Forcing them to obey, she continued to scrub her skin until it was burning and red. She washed herself over and over, until every inch of her skin was raw. Some marks still lingered on her body and every one of them told a story that would be forever tattooed on her mind. His hands, his belly, his teeth, his-

She squeezed her eyes tight shut, diverting her thoughts. When she opened them again, she watched the flame of one of Johanna's candles. She liked the way it flickered, upward, swaying… Like it was dancing. Regina couldn't remember the last time she had really danced. Even Daniel, the man she might have loved, had not danced with her. The time they spent together had always been stolen. He could never have taken her to a ball.

She laughed bitterly. She had been excited for the ball on her wedding day. She rolled her eyes. The King had been bored, he had not wished to dance, and he had dragged her upstairs almost before it was appropriate.

Thoughts of the King led to more scrubbing and more tears. Regina was glad of the pain from Rumple's curse - for it had been a curse, she was sure. She had taken the only option available, she could never torture a child… She wondered what poor Snow's life had been like. The girl seemed spoilt, annoying, obsessed with her dead mother… But perhaps the mother had been kind. Regina could not really fault the girl for loving her mother, or even for the role she had played in bringing Regina into her life. Snow was a child, she did not understand… And Regina cared for her. Snow deserved that, she deserved to be loved. Every child did. Which was why Regina could not risk having one of her own, not with Leopold.

* * *

The fires had died down. Regina could see the morning light creeping through the drapes. She got out of the now cool water and wrapped herself in her heated towel, thanking Johanna again in her head. She dried herself slowly. At least she was clean on the outside, now. Then she put on her robe. She stood still, poised to open the bathroom door. She did not want to go back in there, back into the room where…

She pulled open the door. It was only a room, she told herself angrily. Seeing the bed, she realised Johanna had changed the sheets, even replacing the heavy blankets with new ones. Regina touched the soft wool appreciatively. She still had to sleep in this bed, but at least she had blankets of her own. At least it wasn't the same. She climbed in, so tired, resisting sleep, her heart racing uncomfortably as the memories played themselves back to her yet again, but by concentrating on the fresh, fluffy pillows and the new sheets and blankets, she fell into a restless slumber.

She slept for most of the morning, waking only when Johanna gently touched her shoulder. She flinched away from the contact as soon as she awoke.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty," Johanna said quickly, "but the King has requested your presence at dinner."

Regina sat up. "I slept…" she marveled.

"The candles will have helped," Johanna admitted. "I have always found them soothing."

"Thank you," Regina said. "I… Thank you."

Johanna patted her shoulder again, and this time Regina did not shy away. "What would you like to wear?" she asked.

"I can dress myself," Regina said, sounding rather childish. Johanna chuckled.

"I know. But I can fetch your dress for you, and if you like, I will fix your hair."

"Is the King not waiting?"

"It will not kill him to wait a little longer."

Regina had to smile. She had a feeling these small rebellions would help to keep her sane.

"What about this one?" Johanna suggested, holding up an elaborate red gown.

Regina grinned. "How did you know?"

The gown was incredibly low cut. For a moment, Regina considered wearing something else, but she decided this was better. She would show him. She would show them all that her body was her own. Johanna helped her with her corset, then once the dress was on, true to her word, spent close to an hour combing and intricately braiding Regina's hair. Regina had never felt so pampered. Of course, she had her hair done by servants almost every day, but never like this. Never so kindly.

She shuddered when it was time for her to go to dinner. Johanna could not go with her.

"Snow will be there," Johanna said. "She is a good girl. She likes you very much."

"I know," Regina replied. "I will be fine."

"I know," Johanna echoed. "I am very proud of you."

Regina blushed, then hurried from the room. Johanna busied herself clearing the vanity table, making the bed, then going to clean the bathroom.

Regina went to her dinner, smiling sweetly at her stepdaughter, even at her husband. She made herself eat. She was no use to anyone if she was starving. She looked at the King several times, wondering if she could will him into choking. She looked at her knife and pictured stabbing it into his oversized gut. The thought made her sick. But not as sick as the memories from last night.

The meal drew to a close. Regina hoped she could go to her chambers. She wanted to see Johanna, the one person in this palace who made her feel something like safety.

Johanna scrubbed at the bathtub, always a perfectionist. She heard someone behind her.

"I am sorry, Your Majesty-"

"Alas, that is not my title."

Johanna turned to see Cora Mills, standing in the doorway with a cruel smile on her face.

"What are you doing with my daughter?" Cora asked.

"What do you mean?" Johanna asked.

"I have my sources. You are being kind to her."

Johanna could not hide her confusion. Was being kind not a good thing?

"She will like you," Cora clarified. "I need her to need me, only."

"I am only trying to make this time easier-"

"And that will not do. You are lucky I do not kill you on the spot. It would not be the first time. But thankfully, the King has decided to take a honeymoon with his new wife. You will not go with them. You will remain here to take care of the young princess, or there will be tragic consequences," Cora ordered. Johanna trembled.

"Why do you want your daughter to suffer?" she could not help but ask.

"Desperation can be powerful," Cora answered. She went to the corner of the room, running her fingers through a small heap of ashes that Johanna had not cleared away yet. Cora smiled. "Very powerful indeed," she mused.

* * *

Johanna went down to the scullery and grabbed the girl she was looking for.

"What did I do this time?" Emma yelled.

"Nothing," Johanna told her. "It is something you are going to do."

"More chores? I do EVERYTHING," Emma said grumpily. Johanna smiled.

"I know. You do not know me well, but you are the right age, and you are a good girl."

"So..?" Emma said, her teenage annoyance showing through.

"So, you are going to be a lady's maid."

"WHAT?"

"Emma, it is a good thing."

"I'd rather scrub furnaces my whole life."

Johanna sighed exasperatedly. "You will get to see the whole kingdom."

"I'm a homebody," Emma muttered, but Johanna could see that her ears pricked up with interest.

"You will have a whole wardrobe of far more comfortable clothes."

"I don't mind these," Emma said unconvincingly.

"You will ride horses."

"I prefer sleeping," Emma said, but it was clear she wanted the job.

"And you will eat the best food-"

"I'm in," Emma announced. Johanna laughed.

"I have not told you what you will do in return yet," Johanna said sternly.

"I thought the job was the return," Emma argued. Johanna raised her eyebrows.

"You will be the Queen's personal maid-"

"Wait, the _Queen_? You want me to look after the Queen? Why? There must be dozens of other maids who'd do it, and do it much better than I can."

"I cannot trust them."

"Why can you trust me?" the girl asked.

"Because I will skin you alive if you do not do as I say!"

Emma knew that Johanna was perfectly serious. She was more than used to being threatened with violence. Actually, Johanna had never laid a finger on her, but the older woman's eyes showed that whatever she wanted was a big deal.

"So… What do you need to trust me with?" Emma asked, resisting the urge to be sarcastic or silly.

"I should be going with the Queen, but I cannot. I… I do not want to leave her. I need you to be her friend, I need you to be someone she can talk to."

"Why would she ever want to be friends with ME?" Emma asked.

"You are her age, you have a similar spark… I think she will come to like you. And she needs someone. Imagine if you had been forced to marry the king."

Emma made gagging noises.

"So you want me to go be her maid and what? Hand her tissues when she cries?"

"I want you to be someone she can talk to. I want her to have someone she can trust. You must be a vault, Emma. You must not tell a soul about this conversation, especially not the Queen, and you must not repeat a word of anything she tells you. Also…"

"Yes?"

"Beware her mother. Outwardly, you must seem as if you are neutral, even negative, about the assignment. This should not be difficult for you, since you seem negative about everything."

Emma rolled her eyes, but she didn't hate the idea as much as she'd expected. She'd get to see the world. It might be kind of fun.

"I don't even know how to do those lacy things," she admitted.

"You mean fasten a corset?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess…"

"You are a smart girl, Emma. You will learn quickly. There is no time to teach you, the honeymoon party will leave early tomorrow morning. And… Give her a chance."

"I thought she WANTED a friend. Why does she need a chance?"

"She will not be expecting you. And she is rather… Shy."

"Shy's okay. It'll be fine," Emma said comfortingly. Johanna seemed very worried, but schooled her features.

"Yes, Emma. It will be fine. Clean yourself up, I will bring your clothes. You will wake the Queen in the morning, I'll tell you when. If she asks, tell her I am otherwise engaged."

"Right."

"I have already told the King about you. He has agreed; he knows it is you."

"Does he know I'm a scullery maid?" Emma asked incredulously.

"He does not," Johanna said shortly. "And no one ever will. Because you are not a scullery maid. You are a lady's maid."

Emma leaned against the wall, looking down at her calloused hands.

"This will work," Johanna told herself. "Emma?" she said as she left the room.

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Yes?" Emma spat.

"Be good to her." Johanna sounded almost pleading.

"I will," Emma said lightly. Johanna gave her a look. "I will!" she repeated, promising this time.

To Emma's surprise, Johanna came back into the room and gave her a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

A/N: I know I already have 3 fics on the go, but I had this idea and I couldn't get it out of my head. Emma is just a random orphan, she isn't Snow's kid or anything. I don't really know what's going to happen next, but I always go towards swan Queen, so whatever happens, you can be sure of that. Please tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

"Your Majesty," Emma said, barely audible, standing outside the closed door of the Queen's chambers. She knocked cautiously on the door. For all her bravado, she had never even seen the Queen from less than 100 feet away. How was she supposed to gain her trust? How was she supposed to DRESS her?

"Johanna?" came a call from inside the room. Emma opened the door, giving herself a shake before speaking in her normal, confident tone.

"Actually, it's Emma," she said. "Johanna's busy."

Regina looked up at Emma from where she was seated on the edge of the bed.

"Who are you?" she asked accusingly.

"Em-ma," Emma repeated slowly. "I'm your new maid."

"I do not want a new maid. I want Johanna." Regina was vaguely aware that she sounded a lot like a spoilt child, but she couldn't help her feelings. Where was Johanna? Who was this maid, this girl with unruly blonde hair, who couldn't be any older than she was?

Emma sighed. "Look, I don't really want to be here either. But it looks like we're gonna be stuck with each other for a while so why don't we-"

"Wait, a while? What do you mean, a while?"

"Well, for your Honeymoon," Emma said awkwardly.

"What about Johanna?"

"She can't come. It's nothing to do with me, I'm just-"

"I do not care who you are! Get out, and find Johanna."

"I…" Emma was on the verge of leaving the room, but something in the Queen's tone made her pause. On the surface it was angry, even cruel, but under the cruelty there was something else. A fear, a sadness… She seemed lost, somehow. Emma rolled her eyes. This woman, who had EVERYTHING, felt lost, unhappy? What more could a person want? But she couldn't forget the sadness she had heard, and Johanna's desperation from the night before rang through her mind.

"Johanna cannot come," Emma said carefully. "She has to stay and… And look after the Princess. I know this is a shock. Johanna knew it would be difficult… She chose me to go with you."

"Why? Why can you not stay and care for the Princess? Why must it be Johanna?"

Emma shrugged. "I really don't know. I don't know much. But… I'm here now, so maybe we can get you dressed and ready to go and there'll even be time for breakfast before we leave?"

"I am not hungry," Regina huffed. Emma made a face.

"Yeah, but I am."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "You do not sound like a lady's maid."

"You don't sound like your mother was a miller, but that's what I've heard," Emma retorted. Regina gasped, offended, but realised Emma spoke nothing but the truth. She crossed the room to her washstand and slipped out of her nightgown. She had never been shy, and she had been brought up to see servants as more like furniture than actual people, so she had no problem exposing herself to the girl.

Emma covered her mouth to stifle the strangled sound that bubbled up in her throat when she saw not only Regina's beautiful, toned body, but the awful cuts and bruises that lingered on it. Regina chuckled humorlessly.

"Not as worldly as you seem, dear?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Emma swallowed.

"You are very beautiful, your Majesty."

Emma clapped her hand right back over her mouth. It was the first thing that had come into her head. The Queen, this Queen, was not someone to be pitied. Emma was in no position to feel sorry for her, to understand what she was seeing. All she could say was what she did understand, what was clear to her… And that was the breathtaking beauty of the woman in front of her.

Regina blushed. The girl looked as surprised as she was at what had just been uttered, but while Regina felt colour rising to her cheeks, she also felt a smile twitch at the corners of her mouth.

"Thank you," she replied. Emma waited in silence, unsure what to do as the Queen quickly washed herself, then dried herself on a nearby towel. Regina cleared her throat. Emma tried to catch on, learning on the job. She took the towel and hung it on a suitable looking rail, then opened the closet to find shelves of undergarments she didn't even recognise.

Regina laughed again, and this time it was genuine.

"You were really the best replacement Johanna could find?" she asked incredulously.

"It was short notice," Emma quipped, grabbing a couple of items and hoping for the best.

"You are totally ignorant," Regina said, shaking her head and putting most of them back. She dressed up to her corset.

"You were so much," Emma remarked, unable to hold it in. Regina looked at her. She'd never really thought about her wealth affecting the make up of her outfits.

"What do you mean by that?" Regina asked, curious. She could go back to hating the girl in a minute.

"Well," Emma said, looking down at her black dress and white apron, "with me, what you see is pretty much all you get."

Regina laughed at Emma's rueful honesty. She slipped her arms into her corset, twisting it around the wrong way so she could lace it up mostly by herself.

"Watch," she ordered Emma. Emma did, following the Queen's nimble fingers as she laced up the garment, then shimmied it around her body so the laces were at the back.

"Now, you pull. Start at the top and work your way down."

"Doesn't it hurt?" Emma asked. Of course, she knew that people wore corsets, but she hadn't really thought about how they worked.

"You get used to it, I suppose," Regina said. She braced herself against the wall as Emma tugged tentatively at the strings.

"Harder," she commanded. Emma did as she said, pulling the corset tighter. Regina let out a few rough, uneven breaths that made Emma think of something else entirely. She gritted her teeth and pushed the idiotic thoughts away. She didn't even like the damn woman. She yanked the corset for the final time, and tied it in a knot she was pretty certain wouldn't come undone. Ever.

Regina pointed to a powder blue gown.

"The King likes it when I wear pastel colours," she said. "He thinks they accentuate my innocence."

Emma made a face. "He's a tool. I'd wear black."

Regina hid another laugh. Could this girl be real? No one spoke like that, let alone lowly maids. Maids should be nothing but respectful.

"Show some respect for your king," she heard herself saying. Emma helped her put on the gown.

"You don't have to defend him to me," Emma muttered.

Regina looked at her, hard. "That is where you are wrong, dear. He is my husband, and he is my king. I must defend him to everyone."

Emma glared back. "I guess that's your choice," she said angrily. "But if you… If you LET him… Perhaps I don't respect you after all."

She turned around but Regina grabbed her arm before she could leave.

"Let him?" she spat, disgusted. "Do you think I LET him? Do you think I would be here if I had any choice at all?"

Emma shrugged. "Seems like you have a pretty good deal. You have everything, gowns, jewels, power… And you did choose. You married him. No one made you say those words. I get it, I do. You're the Queen now. But you must have known what you were getting into. So yeah, you let him."

Regina did not know how to contradict her. "I…" she said softly, "I… I would give everything to trade places with you. To be a lowly maid. To be nothing." Then she pulled herself together. "And if you repeat that to anyone, even to me, I will have you killed. Do you understand?"

Emma nodded, but despite the death threat, she was aching to know more about her mysterious new mistress.

The gong sounded downstairs.

"Shit," Emma said. "Sorry, I mean… We're late, we should go."

"Indeed." Regina slipped on her shoes, shoes with a substantial heel, meaning she now looked down on her maid.

Emma followed behind the Queen, keeping her head bowed but peeking out at everything from behind her hair. She had never seen this side of life before, she had never been in this part of the palace before.

Everything was gold, or red, or deepest blue. Fires burned in huge fireplaces, there were paintings and sculptures bigger than the house she'd grown up in. The floors were all covered with carpets softer than any bed Emma had ever slept in. She looked up when they reached the royal family, the King in his deep red gown, a heavy crown on his head, and Princess Snow in a puffy pink dress and a hairdo that made her look like a little doll.

"My dearest wife," the King said, holding his hand out to Regina, a smirk on his face as she reluctantly placed her gloved fingers in his.

"Goodbye, Snow," he said to his daughter.

"Goodbye, Papa," she replied, hugging him tightly. He patted her hair.

Snow gave Regina the same treatment, holding her in a vice grip. Regina tried not to wince as the child pressed against her bruises causing pain to shoot through her body.

"Goodbye, Mama," Snow said. Regina gritted her teeth. She did not want to be Snow's mother. She did not want to be Snow's anything. But Snow was only a child. She didn't know. She didn't know, Regina repeated to herself over and over again, until the goodbyes were done with and she was outside in the cool air.

King Leopold led her to a carriage.

"I wish to ride," he told her.

Regina wondered if it had even crossed his mind that she liked to ride too. It was why he had married her! But she was glad, really, that he had not offered. She got into the carriage. No expense had been spared; it was as comfortable as it was beautiful.

Emma paused by the carriage.

"I don't know where I-"

"Get in, girl, before I change my mind and have you ride with the luggage," Regina ordered. Emma jumped in gratefully, hoisting herself up with no grace whatsoever.

"Oh my Gods, it's so comfortable," she exclaimed. "I wonder what my ass would be like if I'd spent my life sitting on seats like these…"

Regina rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help being a little entertained.

"You are unbelievable," she told Emma.

Emma grinned wickedly and raised a knowing eyebrow. "So I've been told," she said. Regina frowned.

"You will mind your manners or you will walk!"

Emma shrugged. "I know you like it. You just don't want to admit it."

"Servant, you will do as I say or I will not tolerate your presence."

"So you keep saying, and yet, here I am!" Emma gestured down to herself, and with a fury she could not possibly justify, Regina opened the door of the carriage (which was not yet moving) and demanded that Emma get out.

Emma knew better than to argue. She traipsed back to the luggage cart where a few other servants were riding, and took her seat on the hard wooden surface. Regina peered back out of her window, trying not to feel guilty. The girl was rude, and she needed to be taught a far more lessons than this one if she was to make a reasonable handmaid.

The blonde glared at the carriage in front of her, wondering if she could break it with her eyes. They started moving. She seethed. Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Regina told herself that she had done the right thing. She thought of Johanna. She wanted Johanna. She wanted… She wanted to be anywhere but here. No matter what she did, she couldn't push thoughts of the night before out of her mind. She tried to forget about it, tried to act like it was nothing.

And in a way it was nothing. It was common practice. It was what happened. Emma was right. She had agreed, she had said the words, she had married the king. In a way, she had given consent.

But in every other way, she had NOT. She did not want him in her bed, she did not want him touching her, she did not want-

She shoved her fist in her mouth, stifling a scream. The bath had helped, but she ached all over. She ached with shame. She had allowed this. She had let him. She should have hit him, she should have stabbed him… As the rage bubbled up within her, real rage this time, she felt the carriage shake, almost with her body, almost as if-

No! No, she couldn't, she wouldn't… She knew of only one person who could move things that way, and she had vowed to herself many times that she would never become like that.

"Well hello, Dearie."

Regina sprang back against her seat.

"How-"

Rumple rolled his eyes. "Really, my dear, that is not the most interesting question. The interesting question is WHY am I here? And the answer is, I felt that."

"Felt what?" Regina asked.

"Oh, I think you know what. And it was very impressive, my dear."

"No, no, I don't want-"

"It does not matter what you want," came the sing song reply. "You have magic, Dearie, like it or not. Don't look so downhearted. Most would kill to have the power you do."

"Why are you here?" Regina demanded, cutting to the chase. The imp always wanted something.

"Why, to offer my services, of course. I can teach you to do so much more than rattle carriages."

"No."

"Suit yourself, Dearie. I'll be back when you realise you need me."

"I will never need you," Regina insisted. "Never again…"

Rumple looked at her, narrowing his eyes, wondering what on earth the strange feeling in his chest could be. He just wanted her power, that was all. He did not care about her, he cared nothing for her troubles.

"As you wish," he said, disappearing with a pop.

Regina stared at the empty space where Rumpelstiltskin had been. She tried to calm down, but her heart was racing with fear and confusion and what was she going to do now?!

* * *

**SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO**

"Mary, Mary, come look at the baby!"

The terrified cry rang through the cottage as James backed away from his baby daughter. An uneducated shepherd, he knew very little about babies (human ones especially), but he knew they weren't supposed to do this.

Mary hurried inside, looking at her daughter.

"It's… It's a monster," James whispered.

The baby gurgled happily as sparks flew from its fingers, making a tiny firework display which reflected in its sparkling green eyes. Mary gasped when she saw it, then cowered in terror behind her husband.

"We… What do we do?" she asked. "We cannot raise such a vile creature. She'll set the house on fire."

"She will bring shame on our entire family," James added. "And we need a son…"

"We must… We must give her her best chance," Mary decided, the phrase just right to make her feel better.

"Yes!" James agreed, relieved. "So… What do we do?"

Mary thought about it, ever the brains of the operation. She wrapped the baby in the blanket she had knitted over the last few months, embroidered with the baby's name, Emma. She handed her to James, kissing her head before looking away.

"Take her to the palace. Leave her at the servant's entrance. They will know what to do."

James nodded. He tucked the baby under his arm as if she were any other package needing to be delivered, and swung up on his horse.

"Be safe," Mary told him.

"I will be back by sundown tomorrow," he promised.

* * *

Johanna had been fast asleep when she heard a screaming cry by the door.

"These cats," she muttered to herself, going to shoo the creature. She opened the door and gasped.

"You are not a cat," she said, gathering herself and lifting the baby, cradling it in her arms. "You are a baby. Emma," she read from the blanket. "And you are rather an ugly duckling. But I am sure you will blossom into a swan. Yes, a swan. Emma Swan. Okay? You like that?" she cooed.

* * *

**PRESENT DAY**

Emma's eyes shot to Regina's carriage. Something was… weird. Wrong. She jumped down from the luggage cart and ran to the carriage. It wasn't hard to catch up, the King did not like to ride quickly. She yelled to the driver to stop; he did so. Regina put her head out with the most regal air she could manage.

"You," she said with disgust.

"Hey, I just… Are you okay?" Emma asked.

"Of course. Why would I not be?"

"I, uhm…" Emma looked at the ground, then back up at the Queen. "Look, this is gonna sound really stupid, but I was mad at you, and then I felt something, like that something was wrong, like in your carriage, like…" Emma trailed off, not really knowing what she was trying to say. It had been a feeling, a gut feeling.

Regina tried to appear as if she had no idea what Emma was talking about.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, get in before you cause an accident," she said. Emma did as instructed and Regina rapped on the roof to tell the driver to move again.

"What the hell were you talking about?" Regina demanded.

"I… I don't know, okay? I just felt something weird and I had to come check you were alright."

"Weird as in..?"

Emma bit her lip. "I shouldn't, I mean… It was just my imagination."

"Stop making excuses, girl, and tell me what you think you felt!"

"It's Emma! And… Fine! I think I felt magic, okay? So call me crazy, have me executed, whatever, but I'm sure that's what it was."

Regina gaped at her. Emma looked back defiantly.

"What?" she asked eventually.

"You… you have magic too?" Regina asked. All Emma heard was "too".

"Fucking Johanna!" she cursed. "That scheming witch-"

"Hold your wicked tongue, girl, before I rip it from your mouth. What do you mean?"

"Yeah, I have magic," Emma said. "We've had to hide it. I mean, Johanna thinks it might be why my parents gave me up. So she kept me hidden, a little foundling, worthless, out of the way. She was always kind to me but… I bet she sent me with you so I could finally be myself. I bet she knew you had magic too."

"That is nonsense. Nobody knows. I don't even know-"

"Oh, you have magic. And," Emma sniffed. "Was someone else here? Someone… Someone really dark. Geez, Regina, you have creepy friends."

"He is not my friend. How can you tell..?"

Emma shrugged. "I just can, it's like… I dunno, I just feel it. When I get mad, I can't help doing stuff sometimes. Actually, I thought… I thought I might have done something to your carriage. That's why I was so worried."

"You? Why would you do anything to it?"

"I… I was mad," Emma admitted. "But it wasn't me. It was you."

"I… You do not seem bad. Foolish, annoying, stubborn, rude… But not bad."

"Uhm, thanks?"

"No, it's… The other people who have magic that I have encountered have all been… Quite evil. I am determined not to be that way. I will not become… I will not become like them."

"Magic's not bad," Emma said with certainty. "People use it wrong. A lot of people. And everyone's scared of it, that's why Johanna got me to hide it, so people wouldn't hurt me. But she said over and over… Magic's not bad. There's nothing wrong with you. It's amazing, I mean, it's MAGIC! You just gotta know how to use it right."

"You… I… The man that was here, he offered to teach me. Maybe I should-"

"No. Not him. He's evil."

"Then-"

"I mean, I could teach you," Emma said hurriedly. "I'm not very good, I can't do anything cool, but I can show you how to control it, how to feel it."

"You would do that?" Regina asked. No one offered to do anything for her. Not out of kindness.

"Sure. I mean, only if you let me ride in here all the way," Emma added, grinning. Regina rolled her eyes.

"We have a deal. Emma?"

"Yeah? I mean, yes?"

Regina laughed out loud. "Thank you," she said when she could speak normally again. Emma found herself blushing.

"I like it when you laugh," she murmured. Regina decided it would be better for both of them if she pretended not to have heard, but she felt warm, delicious butterflies in her stomach as she let the compliment flow through her.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I have soooo much I should be doing but stories like this are where I get my headspace. So thanks for being here, too, so I have an excuse to do this. Please leave comments, I feed off of them! And have an awesome Saturday night/whatever time it is when you read this! *love*


	3. Chapter 3

The butterflies faded as they were replaced by cold, hard fear. Regina said nothing, staring at the opposite wall of the carriage, refusing to look at the maid. So what if she had magic? So what if she could help? This was ridiculous. Regina Mills, QUEEN Regina Mills, did not need help from anyone, let alone a lowly, dirty servant who barely seemed to know what a corset was.

So what if she made Regina feel alive for the first time in her life? So what if she was the most beautiful thing Regina had ever seen? Regina was married to the king. She had promised herself to him alone, until death. She looked out of the window. It was beginning to get dark. They would stop to make camp soon. The tent was more like a house. There was one, similar in size though not in luxury, for the servants. The carts carrying the tent were a little ahead, so the camp would be prepared when the Royals arrived.

Emma tried not to notice how pale Regina was becoming, but it was no use. She racked her brains.

"Tell him you're sick," she blurted out with no preamble whatsoever.

"I beg your pardon?" Regina said, raised with a jolt from her miserable spiral of thoughts.

"Take it from me, honey. I have faked sick SO many times to get out of scrubbing pots… Shouldn't be much different. And no one wants to fuck an invalid. Unless they're REALLY kinky."

Regina rolled her eyes, but practised a weak cough.

"I have to admit, Emma. I am feeling quite unwell."

Emma grinned. "Gross. Well, you should be quarantined. As your loyal maid, I will stay with you… But no one else. I'll tell the driver immediately."

Emma rapped on the top of the carriage, then explained Regina's predicament to the driver. He visibly shrank away from them, then told a page boy, who ran ahead to inform the king, and to arrange for separate accommodations for the Queen and her maid, who was to nurse her.

"It is such a childish excuse," Regina said. Emma shrugged.

"Simple is usually better. Complicated lies are far less believable."

"I… Thank you, Emma," Regina said. "But it will not work forever. Tonight, perhaps one more night at most. In a way… What is the point in waiting?"

Emma was overcome with feelings she wished she could have just ignored. She grabbed Regina's hand, holding it tight.

"Look. I know you don't like me, I know I'm a crappy maid, but I promise you this not as your maid but as a woman to another woman. He will NEVER touch you again. Never."

Regina's eyes prickled with tears. "You will not be able to keep that promise," she said sadly. Emma squared her shoulders.

"Oh, you just watch me," she said angrily.

"I… You do not have to-"

"Shut up, Your Majesty. I swear, if you defend him, if you imply that what is happening to you is in any way right, in any way reasonable, I will…" Emma trailed off, unable to think of a suitable punishment.

"You will what?" Regina inquired. She was actually mildly amused. Emma made a face. Regina had been punished enough. Emma couldn't even tease her with more threats. She was still holding her hand.

"I guess I'll just be sad," Emma admitted. "I… I didn't want to come. But I'm here now and I'm going to help you. I've never met anyone so strong and so weak at the same time."

Regina indulged in the hand holding for another minute, forgetting herself… When she remembered, she snatched her hand away.

"You are far too familiar," she told Emma sternly. Then she coughed again. Emma hid a smile and folded her hands in her lap.

They remained silent until the carriage halted at the camp. Emma helped Regina down, and into her tent. It was nice. There were two beds. One was huge and covered with blankets and pillows. The other was a mat and a scratchy looking piece of cloth. Emma shrugged at Regina's disgusted expression.

"I've slept in worse places."

Regina sighed. "Nonsense. You…" She was on the verge of suggesting that Emma sleep in her bed; it was more than big enough for two people. But she couldn't quite bring herself to make the offer. She wanted it too much. And she had no idea why. Instead, she took most of the blankets and pillows from her bed and dumped them unceremoniously on Emma's mat.

"You didn't have to-"

"Now YOU shut up. It is nothing," Regina told her sternly. "Besides, it is not kindness. I simply do not want you to freeze. You would be even more useless frozen than you are now. And that is saying something."

Emma rolled her eyes and sorted out the fire. She looked up at Regina, holding the stones she should spark.

"Come here," she said. Regina did as instructed, kneeling by the fire with Emma. Emma held out her hand, palm up, and Regina watched in amazement as a hot, yellow flame burst from it. Emma grinned.

"You try," she said. Regina rolled her eyes.

"I have no clue how-"

"There is no how," Emma told her. "You can't think it. You just… You just do it. I know you can."

Regina held out her hand and thought about fire. Nothing happened. She tried to FEEL fire, but there was still nothing. She tried to believe there was fire. She had actually thought that might work. Emma caught her eye.

"Stop concentrating. Stop trying."

"How will I do it if I do not try?" Regina demanded angrily.

"It's like… It's like sex. It's only good if you don't think."

"I wouldn't know," Regina admitted.

"What, he was… Oh, shit. I'm so-"

"Do NOT say you are sorry," Regina said, deadly danger in her tone.

"I wasn't going to," Emma lied. "Okay, I was, but… Only because everyone deserves good sex."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Could you be more vulgar?"

"You know you like it. Come on. Fire."

"How?"

"Just do it!"

"That sounds like a training slogan. Emma, I cannot do this."

Emma lay back on a pillow with a sigh. She closed her eyes and held her hands up, put them together, then pulled them apart. A ribbon of coloured sparks and flames sprung up between them.

"How did you do that?"

"I just did. I swear." She sat up. "Close your eyes," she said. Regina did so. "Your heart is beating, you're doing that, but you're not thinking about it. Your body just does that. You breathe that way, too. So now, hold out your hand, and make a flame."

Regina groaned. "I am sure there is more to it than that," she said. She opened her eyes to glare at Emma. "You are a pathetic teacher," she said angrily. Emma giggled and looked at the flame in Regina's hand.

"Yeah, I really suck," she said. Regina turned to gape at the flame.

"But I… I didn't, I mean I, I DID it but how-"

"Magic."

"But… My mother, she uses books, potions… There is always a 'how'."

Emma shrugged. "I don't know anything about that kind. I just know what I can do. And I think your magic is a lot like mine."

Regina dropped the flame on the pile of wood and watched it crackle into a fire. Emma smiled at her.

"You're brilliant," Emma told her. Regina rolled her eyes.

"You are a kiss ass."

Emma laughed loudly at the phrase coming from the Queen's mouth. "You _wish _I was kissing your ass," she teased.

Regina blushed bright red, the image impossible to banish from her mind now that Emma had conjured it.

"I am… I am tired. I think I will retire."

"You should eat first," Emma told her.

Regina shook her head. Thinking about intimacy had her thinking about the previous night. Thinking about going to bed… She looked into the fire, wondering if she could dive inside.

She stood. Emma scrambled to her feet too, and began to undo the elaborate dress. It took her painfully long to undo the knot on the corset she had fastened that morning. In the end she used magic on it, remembering that Regina knew, so she could.

"I could use magic for everything with you," she realised. Regina shook her head.

"No. That would not be wise."

"I know," Emma sighed. "Johanna says I should never use it. Only if I absolutely have to."

"I… I do not think you should be afraid," Regina said. "But if anyone in the King's party knows you are a witch, you will be put to death immediately. I could not prevent it."

Emma tugged at the ribbons of the corset. Regina breathed deeply. Emma held in a gasp at the marks on Regina's skin, left by her outfit, but also by fingernails. And as well as the bruises and scrapes from the previous night, there were scars which Emma had not noticed before. She pushed her questions out of her mind, trying to think of something practical instead.

"I can heal them for you," she said.

Regina turned around. "No. I want to remember."

Emma shook her head. "I doubt that you need reminding. Let me… Let me stop your body from hurting, at least."

Regina looked deep into Emma's eyes.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because… We're the same age. We're both a bit mouthy. If I hadn't been so lucky, if I hadn't had Johanna, I might have been sold off, too. You don't deserve this, Regina. No one does."

"I am not a good person, Emma. I am from a bad family. I have done bad things. And you were right when you said I made a choice."

"No! I was wrong. I was angry, I was jealous, I didn't think… When I promised Johanna that I would help you I was going to do the barest minimum. But… I like you, my Queen. I hate to watch you suffer when I know I can help."

Regina stood where she was, opening and closing her hands as they hung at her sides. Emma moved to continue undressing her, a question in her eyes. Regina nodded almost imperceptibly. Emma undid the complicated undergarments until Regina stood in nothing but her panties, then led the Queen to her bed.

"Lie down," she said gently.

Regina did so. Emma stretched out her hands, holding them a few inches from Regina's skin. She closed her eyes; her hands glowed gold. Regina felt her skin buzz with warm energy. Emma held her hands over every scratch, every bruise. Regina rolled onto her stomach and Emma gave her back the same treatment. When she was back on her back, looking almost peaceful, Emma made a decision on the thing she had been deliberating about the whole time. She decided not to ask. She held her hands over Regina's panties and healed there, too. Regina's eyes snapped open when she felt the contact, but she said nothing. Emma finished.

"I… I'm sorry, I just thought-"

Regina held up her hand. "Thank you, Emma. I feel better than I thought possible. My nightgown, if you please?"

Emma produced it from one of the suitcases and Regina pulled it over her head. She remained sitting, then after a moment's thought, got out of bed.

"You can change. I will prepare some food."

"You can cook?"

"It is not cooking, it is removing apples and bread from a hamper."

Emma laughed. "I guess…" She searched through her belongings, finding the ragged shirt she slept in. She was ashamed to wear it, but she swallowed her pride and put it on. She splashed some water on her face.

"I'm just gonna go-"

Regina interrupted. "Use mine, Emma. We're quarantined, remember?"

Emma went behind the curtain and pissed in a pot more ornate than the dishes she ate out of. She emptied it outside and rinsed it with the jug of water, wiping all around it, not sure why she would be dirty, but not wanting it to bother the Queen. She should have just squatted outside the tent. She wondered how much trouble she would be in if Johanna knew how she was behaving.

When she came back in, Regina threw an apple at her with impressive aim. Emma caught it and bit into it hungrily, licking the juices from around her mouth. Regina cut her apple with a knife, nibbling a small piece.

"Don't you like them?" Emma asked.

"No, I mean, they are my favourite. But I have no appetite."

"It'll come back," Emma reassured her. "At least you're fitting in with the invalid thing."

Regina ate a little more, then pulled a blanket from the bed to sit by the fire. Emma took her scratchy one and did the same. Regina rolled her eyes, then put the blanket from her own shoulders around Emma, taking another for herself.

"I told you, you are no good to me frozen."

"Thanks," Emma said.

"You are quite welcome. So tell me, Emma. What do you like to do with your evenings?"

Emma thought about it. "When I'm done cleaning, I usually just sleep," she admitted. "I don't have much time for choosing activities."

Regina smiled. "Then you have a rare opportunity to choose," she said. "If you could do anything, what would you do?"

_I would kiss you_. Emma's mind provided the answer before she could think about it, it was just there, obvious…

"I… I'd have you braid my hair," Emma said. She meant it as a joke, and Regina could tell, but she was in a very strange mood, and she found the idea of being close to Emma incredibly appealing.

"May I?" Regina asked. Emma looked at her, wide eyed and open mouthed.

"You want to braid my hair?" she asked incredulously.

"You just said that you would like it. So yes, that is what I want."

Emma continued to look. "I… You're the Queen."

Regina chuckled. "I am indeed. I am also, though I say it with great reluctance, becoming something akin to your friend."

She climbed onto her bed, leaning against her pillows, crossing her legs buddha style, then put another pillow in front of her, against her stomach. She patted it. Emma stood, walking to the bed as if she was approaching a wild animal that might run at any second.

"I don't bite," Regina said. Emma sat on the bed. It was so _soft_. Regina put her hands on Emma's waist and tugged her closer, then ran her hands up to Emma's shoulders.

"Relax," she said softly. "You were right when you said we were not so different. In you I see… I see everything I wish I could be."

Emma made a face, though Regina couldn't see it. "Why would you want to be like me?" she asked. "I'm so… How did you say it? Vulgar."

Regina ran her hands through Emma's hair. "You are. But in a way it is refreshing. You say whatever you think. You do not hide your feelings, you do not filter anything. You are foolishly brave, you talk to me and help me relentlessly, even when I try to push you away. There is a light in you Emma, a goodness… Additionally, you have wonderful hair."

Regina combed the blonde curls with her fingers as she spoke, then began an intricate French braid. She had learned how to do them on horses, though she did not tell Emma that. They were both disappointed when she finished, though Emma was almost asleep. She climbed off the bed and curled up on her mat in the heap of pillows and blankets.

"Goodnight, your Majesty," she said.

"When we are alone… Please call me Regina."

Emma smiled into her pillow. "Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma."

* * *

Emma woke up at the first scream and jumped up, looking for danger. She realised almost immediately that the scream was coming from the bed. Regina was writhing around, she had kicked all the blankets onto the floor and was soaked in a cold, awful sweat. Her face was contorted in pain and she seemed to be fighting an invisible assailant. Her eyes were open, wide and fearful, but she was asleep.

"I'm sorry," Emma said, wincing as she covered Regina's mouth to stifle her screams, making sure her nose was uncovered so she could still breathe. Emma climbed onto the bed, doing the only thing she could think of - she held the screaming, tortured woman close, shaking her gently, speaking clearly in her ear.

"Wake up, Regina. You're dreaming. You're safe here. You need to wake up."

Regina slowly came back to consciousness. Emma held her tightly and before Regina knew what she was doing, she was hugging Emma back. Emma stroked her hair.

"It's okay, it's okay," she whispered. "I'm sorry I stopped your screaming but I didn't want the camp to hear."

Regina's breathing was still in short gasps; tears streamed down her cheeks; she shook violently in Emma's arms.

"Hey, hey," Emma whispered. "I'm here, I'm gonna take care of you," she promised. "Just breathe. Just breathe."

Regina leaned into Emma. They were sitting up in her bed. She controlled her breathing and dried her eyes on a blanket. She extricated herself from Emma's arms and hugged her knees to her chest instead.

"Was he-"

"It was a dream, Regina. No one was here."

Regina sighed with relief.

"Your nightshirt is appalling," she said. Emma looked down at it, trying not to laugh at the bizarre timing of the comment.

"I know," she said. _Want me to take it off?_

"You can go back to sleep," Regina told her. "We have a long day of travelling tomorrow. We should reach the Summer Palace by nightfall."

"I can sleep in the carriage. I can stay with you, now."

Regina slowly stretched out her legs.

"Would you..." She could not finish the question. Emma got up and grabbed her pillows and blankets, dumping them back on the bed.

"The floor is killing my back. Do you mind?"

Regina smiled gratefully.

"Thank you for waking me up," she said.

"Always," Emma replied. "You just scream the word and I'll pull you outta there, yeah?"

"Yes. Okay."

"So you should go back to sleep now."

"Yes," Regina said, neither lying down nor closing her eyes.

Emma lay back in the bed. "These things are so comfy, how do you ever get anything done?" she asked.

Regina chuckled and slid down too.

"I suppose you get used to it. This bed is far from the nicest I have slept in."

Emma wasn't really surprised.

"Close your eyes, Regina," she whispered. Regina did so, her fatigue influencing her more than Emma did.

"Goodnight, Emma," she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

Regina's "sickness" continued for the two days they spent at the summer palace, which would have been a shame if she had been interested in the beautiful grounds and elaborate furnishings. Though she never admitted it, Regina by far preferred unadulterated nature, riding through fields and forests… She would have been happy to sleep in a stable if only everyone would leave her alone.

The journey was to continue across the kingdom, to show her what she was now, theoretically, a ruler of. Regina did not have to ask to know that she had no political sway, regardless of what the law said. King Leopold was in charge, and she was at his mercy, just like everyone else. Unlike everyone else, there was no part of her life that was _not _his.

They were travelling to the South of the kingdom. The weather became steadily warmer, but a week from the palace, Emma heard that they were stopping in a wealthy town so the Queen could be seen by a physician.

"Did you know about this?" she asked Regina.

Regina shook her head. "But I am not surprised. It has been almost two weeks."

"Yeah, but shouldn't he say something before getting some random doctor to check you over?"

In fact, Regina was quite used to these things being decided way over her head. As a child, her mother had made every decision about her life. She had never been consulted. She had not even answered the king's marriage proposal herself.

They stayed in the largest mansion in the town (its regular inhabitants had been instructed to find alternative accommodation) and in the second nicest bedroom, Regina lay on the bed with Emma at her side. Without the cuts and bruises, there was nothing wrong with her at all. She was fit, strong, and healthy. In fact, she was getting quite agitated from lack of exercise. She wanted to ride.

"Do you ride?" she asked Emma absently.

"What? You mean horses? No. Where would I get a horse?"

This was a good point. "I can teach you."

Emma was about to reply when a greasy, snake like man barged through the door. He had long, dirty fingernails and a wide, terrifying smile.

"Your Majesty. I hear you have been unwell."

"Yes. I believe I am recovering, but I did not want to risk exposing the King to my illness."

"Ah, yes, an admirable decision… Remove your nightgown."

Regina looked down at herself. Emma took her hand, hidden by the bedclothes.

"Is that really necessary?" Regina demanded, putting on her most powerful tone.

The physician was a little surprised, but his smile remained. "I am trained in medicine, Your Majesty. I assure you, my methods are second to none. Please."

Regina gritted her teeth. If he insisted on pushing her…

"No." Her voice was ice. "Now that I consider it, it is most likely that I was suffering from extreme exhaustion, due to the huge changes taking place in my life, exacerbated by the travelling and the heat of the season."

The physician could easily sense the danger in her voice. His smile had disappeared.

"I… I believe that is an accurate diagnosis," he stammered.

"Very good. You may go."

He left the room. Emma grinned.

"That was amazing," she said happily. Regina blushed.

"I could not have done it without you at my side," she confessed.

"Of course you could. But I'm glad you didn't have to."

Regina stood, walking to look out of the window.

"I am better," she said, seeming sad, resigned to her fate. Emma took her firmly by the shoulders.

"Hey. No. I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it. He will never touch you again."

Regina tried to have hope. "Thank you, Emma. But there are some things far outside either of our control."

"Bullshit. Have you seen what I can do? What _you _can do? You do not have to submit to him, you have every right and every power to say no."

"Emma, he is the king-"

"Meaningless." Emma shook her head and moved her hands to Regina's cheeks, forcing her to look up, into her eyes. "Regina. You have to know this. You have to _know _it. He will NOT touch you. I will not let him. And YOU will not let him."

"I…" Regina bit her lip, desperately trying not to cry. "I don't know how…"

"It doesn't matter," Emma said, hiding her own fear with her determination. She didn't know either. But she would not let go of her conviction, of her strength. Regina would not be hurt again.

"But-"

"Show him what you showed the doctor. Show him your _strength_. And Regina, just say NO."

"He will not listen. I said no on the wedding night…"

"Like you said no to the doctor?"

"No," Regina admitted.

"I don't mean to imply for a second that what happened on your wedding night was okay. But the King is a fool, a selfish fool, and he won't understand 'no' until it dances… fully clothed in front of him. Screaming."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"You are a smart woman, Regina. You are strong. You are brave. And I know you have a great pair of lungs on you. If the worst comes to the worst, scream like hell. I won't be far away."

Regina nodded.

"I suppose… I should dress."

Emma found an outfit from the trunk that had been brought up the room. She had already learned the order and method of the undergarments. She helped Regina into them. Tonight's dress was deep blue. It was in a style Regina did not particularly like, but at least it wasn't pastel.

She squeezed Emma's hand.

"You are…" she began, but she had no words for what she needed to tell her servant. "Thank you," she said eventually.

"Always," Emma promised, very close to pulling the Queen into a hug.

Just before she could, Regina left the room. Emma was left alone in an unfamiliar bedchamber… She straightened the sheets, tidied the clothes, and looked at the door Regina had gone through. She wished with all her heart for the Queen's safety, for her happiness… If souls could scream, hers would have. She covered her face with her hands. Why did she feel like this? Why did she feel this way about some spoiled, rich bitch?

They had spent every day, every night together over the past week. Emma had returned to her bed on the floor, but she had continued to wake Regina from the nightmares that tormented her regularly. And they talked… They talked at night, in the darkness, about silly things, mostly. Dresses they liked. Their favourite foods. Emma talked about her childhood in the palace. It had been hard, but she considered herself happy. She was constantly reminded that she was nothing, an orphan, a beggar. She had been forced to work hard for her keep. But Johanna had taken care of her when she had the chance, and she had never been hurt or victimised. Bred for a life of servitude, her lack of freedom did not often bother her.

"What do you dream of?" Regina had asked. That had been after a nightmare, they had been sitting in her bed, holding hands… Emma had really had to think about it. Before she had met Regina, she had dreamed of riches, meeting prince charming, an adventurous one of course, but a wealthy, handsome man, a man with power and influence… Now, though, she considered that horribly childish. Happy endings were not about rich men. They were about fulfilment, about freedom… And love. Real love. Not ballroom dancing, not courting as she had seen princes and princesses do… But the kind of love that sets your heart alight, that makes your fingers crackle with electricty.

Emma had also realised that she wanted to be MAGIC. She wanted to be proud of her ability, proud of what made her different. She wanted to live somewhere she would be special rather than evil, rather than a witch-

There was a puff of acrid smoke. Emma had a fireball in her hand before the ugly little imp had even appeared. She could feel it rolling off him in waves - evil. Pain. Anger. BAD.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she said.

He giggled. "Goodness me, the little maid is full of surprises. Hello, Dearie. You can put that away. If I wanted to hurt you, you would not be able to stop me."

Emma did not believe him, but she closed her hand, the fire disappearing.

"What do you want?"

"Actually, I was looking for the Queen. This is her room, is it not?"

"She is with her husband," Emma told him.

"I see. How is she?"

"Great," Emma said, narrowing her eyes.

Rumple held up his hands. "Calm down, dearie. I mean you no harm. She and I are friends."

"No you're not. I think you should go."

"Perhaps you are right. But we will meet again, Emma Swan."

"How did you-" he was gone before she could finish asking how he could have known her name. She opened the window to get rid of the smell and wondered who she had just met. He was the monster who had been in Regina's carriage that day… She wondered if Regina really knew him. She hoped not, but she was worried…

And now all she could do was wait. Wait for Regina to return from the King's lustful presence. Wait for the monstrous imp to reveal his dastardly desires. Wait for an opportunity, any opportunity, to change things… But how the hell would she do that?

Emma dropped onto the bed, making a loud sound of frustration. How was any of this ever going to change? She had always dreamed of a new life, but living the one she had kind of got in the way and she'd been too busy to really work on it… But now it _mattered_. She needed that new life. Not just for herself, but for Regina too. She rolled her eyes. _What makes you think Regina would even _want _a life with you? _demanded a cruel voice in her head. And Emma had no idea. She just… She had a feeling. The Queen made her feel… Made her _feel_. She cared. Emma Swan, famous for giving no fucks, _cared _about this woman, this spoiled, rich- She stopped herself. No matter how many times she said it, Regina wasn't a rich bitch, she wasn't a brat… She was a girl, a woman, or somewhere in between. She was strong, she was smart, she was beautiful… She had been hurt. Emma made another sound, a growl this time, a growl that hid her fear as she thought of the Queen, of… of her friend, who was back in the lion's den.

Emma had promised she would be okay. What if she wasn't? What if the King forced himself on her? And if that happened, she would take all Emma had said earlier to mean she was weak. Emma rubbed her eyes furiously. She was not crying. Emma Swan did not cry.

* * *

"Your Majesty." Just the right mix of danger and seduction. Dripping with power. Control.

_I am in control_.

"My Queen." A surprised smile, quickly turning to lust, greed.

_I am in control_.

He moved in, taking her by the waist, pulling her into him. His ridiculous gown meant they hardly touched, thank the Gods.

_I am in control._

She pulled back. "Not tonight."

He seemed confused, but determined. "But you are well again."

Regina smiled. "Indeed I am. But not tonight."

"You are my wife. You-"

_I am in control. _

"And you are my husband. But you have earned no pleasure from me. You have earned no respect. I may be your wife, but I will not give myself to you in the name of a contract we both know I did not wish to sign. You have taken me once, against my will. That will never happen again."

She stared him down as a range of expressions crossed his ugly face. They were mostly related to confusion.

"I…" he stammered.

"Goodnight, my King." The sweetness in her voice made her sick, but it was a necessary evil. He needed an incentive. He would not "wait" for nothing.

It could only ever be a temporary fix. But Regina refused to give in to that resignation. She could live day by day, night by night. And tonight there was no doubt that she was completely in control. She blushed with guilt for using her body in this way. But again. A necessary evil. He would not touch her.

She left the room after his nervous "Goodnight". As soon as she was outside his chambers she began to shake violently. She all but ran to her own room, gasping for breath as she slammed the door behind her and locked it. Safe. She leaned against the wood, catching her breath, regaining control.

"You did it," breathed a voice from the corner of the room. Regina squinted at the curled up form. Emma was crouched in a dark corner hugging her knees to her chest, her face streaked with tears.

"Yes," Regina said, not moving, waiting for Emma to come to her.

"I wasn't sure that you would," Emma admitted, her voice barely audible.

"I was," Regina said firmly. Her feet itched to move closer, her hands ached to reach out for the troubled servant, but she remained where she was, waiting for Emma to get it together herself.

Emma looked at the speaking statue. She had never seen Regina look more queenly. She had to admit, she was a little afraid. Where had all this power come from?

She stumbled to her feet.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"That is quite alright," Regina replied, wishing she could speak just a little less formally. She tried to meet Emma's eyes, tried to tell her what she was thinking, tried to find some of the closeness they had established over the past few weeks. But she felt as if she had given up something of herself, her… Her honesty. She had used her body, her words, her whole self, to lie to the King. She had not had a choice. But it had not been easy. And-

She clasped her hands together to prevent them from shaking. And what he had done on her wedding night was still fresh in her mind. Perhaps it would be forever. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as she remembered, as she _felt _his weight pressing down on her, into her, taking her, moaning in pleasure at her screams of pain. She did not understand. She would never understand. The King was a good man. His daughter loved him. His first wife had loved him. Regina knew she was a place-filler, a lesser replacement… But she did not see, even now, how a man seen as good, as honourable, by his whole kingdom, could cause her such pain, could hurt her, could want to hurt her again…

The only logical conclusion was that the fault was not with him, but with her. There was nothing wrong with him. He acted according to the law, to tradition, to their culture… Regina was the one who would not accept this. The pain was _hers_. There was no evidence that he intended to cause it. It was possible that he did not even-

"Stop."

Regina's eyes snapped up at Emma's. She had been looking at her clasped hands.

"Stop what?"

"Whatever you were thinking."

"I was not-"

"It was bad. I could _feel _it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… I mean your magic… Sometimes, when you feel a strong emotion, I feel it too, like… Like we're connected somehow."

"That is ridiculous."

"I mean it, Regina."

"You will not address me so."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Whatever, _Your Majesty_. I know what I felt. You were thinking… You were blaming yourself," she realised. "You were trying to justify him."

Regina could not deny it. "He… He is the King. The whole kingdom loves him."

"Which makes him all the more evil. Don't you dare, Regina. Don't you dare think he has any right, any right at all-"

"But he _does_, Emma. I married him."

Emma took Regina's hand. "You had no choice."

"I… I should have run."

"You would have been killed."

"I… I should have… I should have…" Regina tried to pull away but Emma only held her hands tighter.

"None of this, _none _of this is your fault."

"Your faith in me is touching, but unconvincing."

"You don't believe me?"

"Oh, I believe you," Regina said gently. "But I also believe that you are the only person in the kingdom to hold those opinions."

"You're a fool, Regina Mills."

"And you are treading on very thin ice, Emma Swan."

Emma grinned. "What's life without a little risk?"

Regina stared at her blonde companion, her only friend…

"What are we going to do?"

Emma froze. She dropped Regina's hands, her eyes wide.

"What did you just say?" she breathed. Regina did not understand.

"I said, what are we going to do?"

Emma bit her lip, then, very cautiously, lifted her hands to hold Regina's face. She was slightly taller; she held the smaller woman with great care, but also great emotion.

"We," Emma whispered. "You said we."

The other shoe dropped. Regina considered her options. She could deny it, she could call it a figure of speech, a slip of the tongue… Or she could admit that she had said exactly what she meant. Her future terrified her. She had no idea what she was going to. But whatever happened, whatever she did, she knew it was going to involve Emma. It had to.

In the end she just stayed where she was, feeling Emma's fingers on her cheeks, wondering if they would ever have to move. She wanted to stay that way forever.

"What happened with the king?" Emma asked.

"I said no. But… I had to sort of… Promise. Give him some incentive. Let him believe… Believe I was just playing hard to get."

Emma heard the pain in Regina's confession.

"Hey, hey, that's not a bad thing. You did what you had to. He can think what he likes. The important thing is that you're here, with me, and tonight, you're safe. As you will be every night - but we can take them one at a time."

"That sounds good," Regina said softly. She was either exhausted or ready to run screaming through the forest.

"Bedtime," Emma said. Regina felt like a little child as Emma undressed her and led her to the washroom - it was nice to be in a house together. Emma gave her own face a quick scrub while Regina washed herself. They changed into their nightclothes. Regina rummaged in her trunk and produced a clean nightgown. She handed it to Emma.

"Wear this," she said. Emma eyed the garment suspiciously.

"It's yours."

"I am well aware of this. Please put it on."

Emma took it and changed quickly. It was horribly comfortable.

"Careful," she said. "What if I get used to your fancy ways?"

Regina chuckled. "It's just a nightgown, Emma."

Emma sat on the edge of the cot that she had made up for herself at the side of the room. Regina watched her, then crossed the room and offered her hand.

Emma took it almost automatically. Regina pulled her up and led her to the large, soft bed.

"I… I don't mean to be presumptuous," she said awkwardly, catching Emma's uncomfortable expression.

"No, you're not, I just… Do you really want me here?"

_That's not the only place I want you_.

"Yes. But only if you want to be."

"I do, but… But you're the Queen."

Regina was tempted to roll her eyes. "Emma… Yes, I am the Queen. But… I do not want to be. And more than that, more than anything… I do not want to be your queen. You should not be below me. You are the only person I have ever met who treats me like a person, a whole, real person. I cannot… I cannot be the friend you deserve in public. But here, tonight, offering you somewhere reasonable to sleep is the least I can do."

She placed her hands on Emma's shoulders, then reached around further and pulled her into a hug. Emma slipped her arms around Regina's waist. She imagined tilting her head, finding Regina's lips, capturing them with her own… She pushed the thought out of her mind. Maybe one day… Maybe one day it could happen. But not today.

Regina felt the warmth of Emma's body pressed against her own and tried not to wish for miracles. She had always attempted to be a pragmatist, and right now she really had to be. There was no getting out of this situation with childish dreams and wishes. Escape, freedom, would require action, planning, intelligence… Maybe even fighting. She would need everything. She could not let it turn into a dream. Magic might be real, but fantasy was not.

They got into bed, curling up in each others arms with natural ease, whispering goodnights and clutching tighter as darkness filled the room and the chill of night, of fear, of unknown futures, crept over them. Regina wondered if she would ever _not _be afraid. She could see very little, but she kept opening her eyes and glancing in the direction of the door. Shadows became shapes, shapes became monsters… Regina knew the door was locked. She and Emma were the only ones there. But what if he could get in? What if all her speech had done was provoke him? What if he was angered? His anger would only make him more determined…

She shrank into a protective ball, trying to control her shaking, knowing Emma had noticed everything and was just too kind to speak.

"I'll protect you," Emma promised.

"I do not need protecting," Regina said defensively.

She felt Emma adjusting their position slightly so that she could stroke her hair. Emma used her fingers to make patterns in the long, brunette curls, slowly soothing Regina into an uneasy sleep. Emma stifled a yawn, then tried to settle herself.


	5. Chapter 5

TW: Rape. (There is no actual rape, but this chapter is as bad as it's gonna get in this story and I think the warming is necessary. Also, another note - there is a lot of angst in this story but it WILL get better - I believe wholeheartedly in happy endings.)

* * *

Regina stepped out onto the sandy shore. Emma stood a respectful distance behind her - they were in full view of the royal entourage. It had been three weeks since the wedding; they were now on the Southern coast of the kingdom, and Regina was seeing the sea for the first time in her life. Of course, she had seen pictures, she had read about it before. But she had never _touched _it, she had never smelled it. She breathed in deeply, the hot, salty air filling her lungs, then let out the breath in a satisfied sigh. Living for the moment was difficult at best, but it was working. It had been working for over a week.

Every night, the King dined with Regina, talking to her, telling her about himself. He was selfish, he was leery, he was pompous… He was entirely self-interested, caring only for the poorer citizens of his kingdom insomuch as it would benefit him. People would not fight to the death for you if they did not love you. So he had to make his people love him. His attitude to Regina for the first few days was similar, but his patience was wearing thin. He was the King. He had given her everything, despite her status being so far beneath him. He had brought her into his life, into his family, he had paid for her clothes, her furniture, everything she could possibly desire… And yet she dared to refuse him?

It was not simply lust, he reasoned. It was necessary. She should bear him a son. He ignored the voice in his head telling him he already had a daughter, who was entirely equipped, legally and morally, to ascend his throne. A boy, there should be a boy! As he watched his young wife stare out at the horizon, he made a decision. Tonight, she _would _submit.

Regina brushed a hand over her abdomen, knowing the King's eyes were boring into her back.

"Emma," she said, without turning around. Emma hurried forward.

"Your Majesty?"

Regina sighed at the show they had to put on for their audience.

"Please tell the King's servant that I wish to take a walk. Alone. I mean, alone, with you."

Emma grinned.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She hurried back to the party of servants and passed on the message. The King waved his hand to grant permission, and Emma took the Queen's parasol. It was _hot_. The sun beamed down on them, entirely oblivious to their impending predicament.

Finally, Regina and Emma were out of sight of the King. Regina visibly relaxed. Emma stood taller, moving to Regina's side and taking her hand.

"I have never seen the sea before," Regina said. Emma looked out at the bright blue water.

"Me neither. I wonder where it goes…"

"Everywhere. Even to other realms, to other worlds…"

"There are other worlds?"

Regina bit her lip, then nodded. "My mother visits them."

"How does she get to them?"

Regina sighed. "I do not know. Even if I had asked, even if I ask now, I doubt that she would tell me."

"Maybe _we _could go to one."

Regina looked into Emma's glowing green eyes. They were bright with hope. She didn't know whether to follow the hope or not.

"I suppose… That man, the one from the carriage-"

"Oh! I forgot to tell you," Emma interrupted. "I saw him again."

"What?"

"He visited me, well, he came for you, but you were with the King. I don't know what he wanted…"

"It is good if he wants something. He loves to make deals."

"No, Regina… We can't make a deal with him. We'll never get away from it."

"What else do you suggest?"

"We… We find out another way. He can't be the only place to find magic."

"He is not. I know far less of magic than you, Emma. But I know it always comes with a price, no matter who that price is paid to."

Emma bit her lip. "Well… We're okay today, right?"

Regina smiled at her, a bright, genuine smile that she could only produce when their eyes were locked.

"Yes. We are."

Emma looked out at the horizon. "Do you believe in miracles?" she asked Regina.

Regina paused, a disparaging "no" on the tip of her tongue.

"I… Before I met you, I did not. But you are a miracle, Emma Swan. Without you… Without you I would have no heart left, by now."

Emma clasped their fingers together tighter.

"I don't think that's true," she whispered. "But thank you… You've made me so much better, too. I… Before I met you I cared about very little."

Regina did not know how to answer. She had gotten to know Emma well over the last three weeks, but there was still a void between them, a void of class and secrets, of pain Regina had not been able to share… Emma knew Regina had not had the happiest of childhoods, but she knew very little of the abuse Regina had suffered at the hands of her mother.

"I already owe… the creature who might help us," Regina admitted.

Emma stopped walking. "Why?"

"On my wedding night, after… I could not… I asked him for a spell to prevent me from having a child. He did something… I will never have a baby."

She did not know why it seemed like such a terrible confession. Additionally, she did not know why Emma wore the expression she did.

"What?" she asked. Emma did not seem shocked, she seemed confused.

"I…" Emma trailed off. "I understand why you did that. What do you owe him?" she asked hurriedly.

"He _said _nothing. He called it a wedding he would not act without reason. He must have been expecting something."

Emma hardly heard the answer. Regina snatched her hand away suddenly.

"Are you trying to break my hand?" she demanded. Emma blushed.

"Sorry. I didn't… I was thinking about something else."

"Clearly." Regina tried not to feel hurt. Emma was entitled to her own worries.

Emma gave herself a shake. She had to be there for Regina. Maybe now even more than before. She held in her questions. There was no point torturing the woman before she was sure. And she could not use magic without Regina knowing, without Regina wondering why.

"Really, I'm sorry," Emma said, touching Regina's shoulder.

Regina sighed. "It is fine, Emma."

They continued to walk, both caught up in their own fears. Regina worried that she had sensed a change in the King. He was becoming more and more difficult to manipulate. She was stronger and braver than she had ever been, but she had never been very strong. If the King was truly determined, she would not be able to stop him without committing treason of the worst kind.

"It is so hot," Regina said.

"Really? You're talking about the weather?" Emma asked skeptically. As she had hoped, Regina laughed.

"I do not feel as if it should be sunny. It makes me nervous. As if a storm is brewing."

Emma slid her arm around Regina's waist, the gesture surprisingly comfortable for both of them - neither woman had ever been so naturally physical with someone. Regina leaned her head into Emma's shoulder.

"Do not be afraid," Emma told her.

"I cannot seem to help it."

They had stopped walking. Emma held Regina more tightly, stepping in front of her, both hands around her waist now, pressing them together. Regina looked up, deep into Emma's eyes.

"You carry so much darkness," Emma murmured sadly. "So much pain."

"But you bring me light," Regina countered. Emma smiled.

"And you me."

They stayed that way, breathing each other in, time perfectly still. All Emma could think about was taking away the pain, taking Regina somewhere else, somewhere safe, somewhere she deserved to be, somewhere with love.

Their lips touched almost by accident, an unconscious move by both women bringing them so close that contact was inevitable. For three infinite seconds, Emma felt Regina's full lips pressing against her own. For three infinite seconds, Regina felt someone touch her not out of anger or greed, not in a fit of teenage lust, but because they cared. It was so soft, entered into so smoothly, the fear, the pain they had both been expecting in Regina never came. For three infinite seconds, they found their impossible freedom, they tasted their miracle.

And then they broke apart. Regina because she was married, because she was hurt, because she had no control over what she was doing. Emma because any more than those three seconds and she would have gone too far, she would have pushed, she wouldn't have been able to help herself…

A bright white spark crackled between them as they both took a step back.

"This cannot happen," Regina gasped. Emma looked at her hands, magic prickling in her fingers.

"Right," she said.

"What was-"

"Don't know."

"It's never happened to me before."

"Me neither."

"What does it-"

"I don't know!"

"Emma, I just-"

"I know… I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No. Don't be. I'm not."

"You're not?"

"No."

"You mean…"

"I liked it."

Emma smiled. Finally. "I liked it too," she said, blushing.

Regina felt her own cheeks colour. "Good."

They eased back into other conversation, turning around and making their way slowly towards the camp. Regina entered the King's tent (which was more like a mansion) to have dinner; Emma left to dine with the other servants.

"My King," Regina said, bowing her head. Leopold smirked at her.

"Regina," he replied.

She sat opposite him, eyeing the plate in front of her with distaste. What she wouldn't give for a crisp, juicy apple… Leopold devoured his food greedily, looking up now and then to leer at his wife. Regina gripped the edge of her seat with her left hand as she picked at her food with her fork. She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, a feeling which intensified when the ugly man before her swallowed his last mouthful and kicked back his chair.

Regina jumped as the chair clattered to the floor.

"I have humoured you long enough. Stop playing with your food, girl, and come here."

Regina rose slowly to her feet. She could do this. She could do this.

"I am not a girl. And I find our current proximity uncomfortable enough."

"Enough of this!"

The King ignored Regina's protests, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to him, forcing his wine stained lips on hers, grasping the front of her dress and tearing it off. He turned her, clamping his hand over her mouth and grabbing a knife from the table to cut the strings of her corset. Regina tried to scream but no sound escaped the King's grip. She closed her eyes; a single tear trickled down her cheek as more of her clothes were ripped away. The King shed his gown and dragged her to the bed, his mouth attacking hers again.

Regina's body gave a jolt at the contrast. Because she knew how beautiful this could be. The memory gave her strength, strength to fight harder, to push against his weight, and when his hand pressed on her mouth again, strength to bite, hard. She tasted blood. And through that blood, she screamed. She screamed one word. One name.

"_EMMA!_"

The blonde tornado that entered the tent did not even give Leopold the chance to gasp before he was pinned on his back on the hard, rocky ground, white hot magic binding his wrists, ankles, and neck.

"How dare you," Emma spat into her King's face. His eyes were wide with fear. Emma looked up at Regina, shaking, sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to cover herself with the remnants of her clothing.

"Did he-" Emma began to ask.

"No," Regina said firmly. Emma's fingers twitched over the King's heart.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked. Regina shook her head. She didn't know, she couldn't think, she couldn't… Tears streamed down her cheeks as Emma struck Leopold hard across the face.

"I could kill you," she said. "I _want_ to kill you."

"No," Regina choked out. "No, don't kill him… He has a daughter."

"You are lucky she is merciful. Fine. You live. For now. But this is not over, Leopold." She looked up at Regina again. "Regina, we have to leave. I can tie his tongue, so he will not speak of this, but it will be temporary… Is that okay?"

Regina nodded. Emma cast the curse, then punched the King again for good measure. She stood, then took Regina's hand. She released the King as they left the tent.

Emma already had a bag prepared with food, blankets, some clothes… She had seen this coming. She grabbed it, wrapping a cloak around Regina, then running into the night. There was a fishing village about a mile away. They could get on a boat there. She explained this. Regina seemed to understand. She managed to run, at least. Emma's own cheeks were wet with tears as she pulled Regina faster along the rough trail.

Regina willed her feet to move. She was proud that she succeeded. She had been going to give in. He had been about to take her, again, but this time, to take everything. She was nothing more than a victim, weak, powerless, worthless… She was nothing. She had only escaped with a scream, she had only escaped because she had been rescued by someone clearly far too good for her. Emma had done everything, Emma had been prepared, Emma had guided her towards strength but even there Regina had failed. She had brought all this pain on herself. She had agreed to the marriage, she had been incapable of saying no, again and again, and this was the result. And now, she was condemning Emma to exile because of her weakness. She was pathetic.

She tripped, stumbling over a tree root. She fell to the floor, her cloak hardly covering her, her body exposed, still shaking and convulsing with sobs.

"Come on, we don't have long-" Emma began, but she stopped mid sentence when she saw Regina's face. She dropped to the ground, kneeling beside her mistress.

"Regina?" she whispered. Regina pulled away from the arms that moved to embrace her.

"Leave me," Regina said. "You go. Go to your life, to the free, magical life that you deserve. Leave me."

Emma stared into Regina's broken eyes, taking in the bruises already forming on her face and neck.

"Never," she said simply. Regina continued to cry.

"Why..?" she managed to ask as Emma lifted her off the ground, carrying her the next few steps before setting her carefully on her feet and holding her up with an arm under hers.

_Because I love you_, Emma's yearning mind provided.

"Because it is right," she said out loud.

She took a step, helping Regina to take one with her.

"I do not deserve your help. You would do no wrong by leaving me."

Another step.

"Maybe you're right. But are you really telling me that if our positions were reversed, you would go on without me?"

"You would never be where I am," Regina said with conviction. "You are too strong. You would never let this happen to you."

Emma spun around, creating the eye contact she knew connected them in a unique way.

"Regina," she said, her voice full of pain as she realised what the brunette was thinking. "You _are _strong. This is not your fault. It is not your fault."

Yet more tears poured down Regina's cheeks.

"You would have been able to stop him."

Emma took Regina's hand, lifting it gently to her lips at kissing it softly, knowing this was as much contact as the other woman could bear.

"No," she whispered. "Perhaps I would have killed him. But the fact that you did not take his life does not make you weak. It makes you strong, stronger than I will ever be. Even afterwards, even when he was completely at your mercy, you thought of his daughter. You thought of others, you saw past yourself. That is not weakness, Regina. That is power of the greatest kind."

Regina shook her head. Emma closed her eyes for a moment. She knew it would take time for Regina to heal. But right now… Right now they had to go. She took a deep breath.

"Forgive me?" she asked, already thinking of the spell.

"What-" Regina managed one word before she lost consciousness. Emma wished her sweet dreams. She hoped that in this state, Regina would not remember what had just happened, but she had to admit, she did not know for sure. She had never been in it. She lifted Regina from the ground with her magic, then ran along the path. Before long she saw the lights of the village. She moved Regina to her arms, using most of her concentration to maintain the spell and run to the dock at the same time.

A boat was leaving, a small, well built ship. At the last moment, Emma thought to tug the hood of Regina's cloak over her face so she would not be recognised.

"My sister, she is sick," she said to the captain desperately. He was a young man dressed almost entirely in black leather. And he had a hook for a hand. "The only cure is across the sea. Will you take us?"

Killian Jones eyed the blonde with curiosity. He did not believe for a moment that the woman she was carrying was her sister. The way she was holding her, the way she spoke…

"She is your lover," he said gleefully. "And you are running away."

Emma sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, fine! But will you take us?"

"I always did have a soft spot for star crossed lovers. I tell you what, blondie. I could smell your magic when you were still in the forest. It just so happens that I'm in need of some… You do a little favour for me, and I'll take you and your girl along."

"Far, far away from here?"

"Oh, almost infinitely."

"What's the favour?" Emma asked, but she was already getting on the ship. She was drained, Regina would wake soon and the curse she had put on the King would not last much longer either.

"Just some help with a little robbery."

"Deal," Emma said quickly. There was no time to think. "Tell me where to put her, then let's go, yeah?"

"May I enquire who is chasing you?"

"The King. And all his men. And all his horses."

Hook raised his eyebrows, then looked more closely at the supposed invalid.

"Wait, is that-"

"No," Emma said pointedly.

"I see. Mr Smee," he called. "Please direct Miss-"

"Swan."

"Miss Swan and her companion to my quarters. They will be staying there for the duration of the voyage."

Smee giggled. Hook rolled his eyes. Did he really have to have this reputation?

"Also, collect my effects from the cabin and move them to yours."

Smee's laughter stopped. He led Emma below deck and into the Captain's cabin, grabbed a few things, then left them to it.

Emma settled Regina on the bed, stroking her tenderly as her eyes fluttered open and terrified agony returned to her face.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Apparently I'm evil. Sorry not sorry… OH, and, there is an amazing edit that would make a perfect cover for this fic, but I didn't want to use it without permission. I think it was tagged, but in the version I have, you can't see the tag any more. I'm putting it as the cover FOR NOW so you can see it. Please tell me if you know who made it so I can ask them. If you recognise it, I'd love to know who it was! I really hope you/they don't mind! It is just so perfect.

* * *

Regina shuddered awake, fear bright in her eyes as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Her gaze settled on Emma's face - Emma had been going for reassuring but she had just ended up looking kind of sick.

"Are you alright?" Regina asked. Emma almost laughed.

"Yeah, sorry, I just… Are you?"

Regina leaned back into the bed. It smelled of rum.

"Yes. Or, I will be. Where are we?"

"On a boat. Ship. It's called The Jolly Roger."

"We're on a _pirate _ship?"

"Hey, I just rescued you! You don't need to be quite so incredulous."

"Do you even know what incredulous means?"

Emma did laugh this time. "Maybe I picked it up from you. Come on, let's find you some clothes."

In the end they found some small riding pants and a shirt of the captain's; Regina did not approve of anything Emma had brought. She wrapped a cloak around herself and paced around the cabin.

"Where are we going?"

"I had to agree to use my magic to help the captain with a job. Captain Hook - have you heard of him?"

Regina nodded. "Killian Jones is his real name. He is not… He is not entirely evil, so far as I know. But do not trust him further than you can throw him. What is the job?"

The door to the cabin opened revealing the pirate in question.

"Stealing something from a crocodile. He has a great interest in magic. I believe Miss Swan will be more than capable of distracting him while I get what I need."

"Does this crocodile have another name?" Regina asked.

"I like your friend," Hook said to Emma. He turned to Regina. "He does, but I do not speak it. He has an annoying habit of coming when you call."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "I think I know of whom you speak. Be careful, pirate. He is a very dangerous man."

Hook grinned. "Oh, I know, love. But I've never been one to shy away from danger. After all, I am currently protecting a runaway queen, am I not?"

Regina gave him her best glare. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He continued to smile. "Of course you don't. Well, I'll leave you lovely ladies to it. Unless you'd like some male input-"

Emma shoved him out of the door and sealed it with magic behind him.

"I was only offering," he called back. Emma rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry he's so gross."

Regina sighed. "It's okay. I suppose it could be worse."

Emma sat back down on the bed and studied her knees intensely.

"Regina… Regina, I have to tell you something."

It had been bothering her since their walk on the beach. She had felt something, when she had held Regina's hand, when they touched… She had felt… Another soul. Very, very new. But incredibly magical.

"I don't know, I mean, I've never been wrong but maybe I'm just lucky… I can sense things sometimes. People. And with you I… Yesterday, I…" She trailed off, unable to say what she needed to, unable to give the heartbreaking news.

"What?" Regina demanded. She could be quite intimidating when she wanted to be. It helped to take her mind off… Everything else.

Emma stood, taking Regina's hand.

"Regina, you're… You're pregnant. Only a few weeks along, but the baby… He's so magical, Regina. He has so much power. So I can feel him."

Regina stared at her.

"No. No, that is impossible… Ru- The sorcerer who helped me told me I would never have a baby."

"But… You had already… You had already been with the King once, had you not?"

Regina nodded slowly. "Yes, but… I can't remember his exact words now but I am fairly sure what he did would have… Would have dealt with anything already there. It was soon enough afterwards that… That a baby is impossible."

Emma sighed. "I… I mean, maybe I'm wrong. I can teach you how to feel it, though."

Regina shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Okay," she said. Emma nodded.

"You should… You should lie down or something."

Regina lay on the bed and followed Emma's instructions, clearing her mind, relaxing her body, feeling everything… As she did this Emma realized she still needed to heal the bruises on Regina's neck. She hated to see them. Regina guided her magic to her abdomen, feeling everything that was there, everything that was inside her. And to her horror, she felt the same thing Emma had. Magic, magic that was not her own. A creature of great power, so young, so new, so…

Innocent. Tears streamed down Regina's cheeks as she searched more deeply, felt everything she could about the collection of cells, magic, light, that was her baby. He was a he, she could feel that just as Emma had. And she did not cry because she hated him. She did not cry because she hated where he came from. She did not cry because he was a lasting, permanent reminder of how she had been abused. She cried because she loved him. She couldn't help it. He was so good, so sweet, so hopeful… He was life, he was love, he was magic…

"We could probably, I mean, we could find a physician and-"

"No!"

The shout was loud enough to be heard throughout the ship. Emma was taken aback.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean, I just thought-"

"I know," Regina said shortly. "But I am keeping this baby. His roots are not his fault."

It would torture her forever. What if he took after his father? What if he learned his roots and wanted his rightful throne? Because it was his, he was a boy, he outranked Snow… The rule was wrong, Regina did not approve, but… She was carrying the heir to the throne. And what was she going to do? Lie to him? Steal him? Perhaps he would make a good king. How could she take his right from him?

What if he turned out like his father? Genetics were not everything, but they counted for something. Regina knew she had some of her mother's violence, despite all her efforts never to use it. Her temper, her fury… She had inherited those.

"I… You are to distract… The crocodile?" she asked Emma.

"Yes."

"Then… I shall distract him with you. We need to ask him… We need to ask how best to deal with this."

"Tell me… Tell me what you're thinking, Regina."

Regina bit her lip. "I… I do not know. I… Come here."

Emma came closer.

"Rest your hand on my stomach."

Emma did so.

"Feel him."

Emma let her magical senses find the baby; Regina shuddered involuntarily as she felt Emma's magic inside her. It was not at all unpleasant, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

"He…" Emma breathed. "He's beautiful. I-"

"You love him. Just as I do."

"I have never felt such power," Emma admitted. "And yes. I do not want to. But I love him."

"We cannot hurt him."

Emma was forced to agree. "He… But how can we-"

"I do not know. But we will find away." Regina scooted over in the bed so Emma could join her; Emma wrapped her arm around Regina and held her. She raised her hand, magic crackling at her fingertips, to heal the bruises on the Queen's face and neck.

Regina wondered how on earth the healing could feel so _good_. She had to work hard not to moan at the sensation. Emma was as gentle as possible, not wanting to make Regina uncomfortable.

"There," she whispered. "All better."

Regina leaned into Emma, breathing deeply, every ache in her body gone. Her lips still buzzed with desire. She tried to control herself, think of other things… This was Emma, her servant, her friend, maybe, but nothing more. And there was so much… So much to worry about. So much had happened. Still, one kiss-

But as she imagined her lips touching Emma's, another mouth invaded her mind, violent, cruel, and suffocating. She shrank into the wall, pulling away from Emma's hold. It took all her strength not to push the blonde right out of the bed. Emma saw what was happening, feeling entirely helpless.

"I… It's me, Regina," she said softly. "It's just me. Emma."

Regina nodded, but the fear in her eyes remained.

"I know," she whispered. "But…"

"Do you want me to go?" Emma asked. Regina shook her head violently.

"Please don't leave me alone," she begged.

"Hey, I won't, I swear. I'm not going anywhere."

Regina relaxed a little. "Okay," she said quietly. Very slowly, Emma held her again, placing the lightest of kisses to her temple. Regina closed her eyes.

"I am so sorry," she said. Emma held her more tightly.

"No," she said firmly. "Do not be sorry. None of this is your fault. I wish I had killed him."

"I am glad you did not," Regina said.

"He deserves to die a thousand times for what he did."

"Perhaps. But you do not deserve to be a murderer."

Emma bit her lip. "My heart is not as pure as you think, Regina."

"Yes, it is," Regina said with a smile. "Because you could have killed him, yet you did not."

"Only because of you."

"No. Because of _you_."

"You think too well of me," Emma said, trying not to blush.

"Bullshit."

Emma gasped at the word coming from the Queen's mouth. Regina chuckled at the reaction. It was remarkably easy to laugh. They were on a ship going God knows where to get themselves on the wrong side of the most powerful, most evil man in existence. They were on the run from an angry, abusive king -

"Snow," Regina murmured. The ten year old girl she wished she could despise. The girl she _did _despise, except… She was a child. She knew nothing of pain. And she had been trying to help - she did not deserve to learn.

"The Princess?" Emma asked. "What about her?"

"We…" Regina said softly. "We have to take her with us. Or at least offer. She is not safe with her father."

Emma took Regina's hand. "We do not even know where we are going. We cannot take a child."

Regina looked down at her stomach. "And yet, we shall. Why not two? Snow is a good girl, she can ride, she is strong… Her mother raised her well."

"You speak of her so… So strangely. As if you wished to hate her."

Regina sighed. She had told Emma all about Daniel, but she had kept her discussion of the princess to a minimum.

"Snow White is the reason Daniel died. She is the one who told my mother. She thought she was helping, she thought if my mother knew I loved Daniel, I would no longer be forced to marry the king. She is an annoying little brat… But she has a good heart. She meant to bring me happiness."

Emma looked into Regina's dark, tortured eyes, and wondered how anyone could be so forgiving. She wasn't even sure if it was healthy. Regina should want to kill the king, and his stupid brat princess. Emma sighed. No, she shouldn't. But Emma was sorely tempted to persuade Regina to forget the girl.

"After the job, we will go back for her. Will she want to go?"

Regina bit her lip. "I do not know. But, Emma… Where will we be taking her? Where will _we _go?"

"Another realm," Emma said firmly.

"How?"

"We'll find a way," Emma insisted, but she was not convinced.

"There is an alternative," Regina said. "We could… We could go back. No one will even know we're missing. The king knows you could kill him. We could go back, put on the right faces… I am carrying his _son_. We could make a deal. You will be a Lady. You will stay with me. We can protect the Princess where she will be happy. I… Can you get us off this ship by magic?"

Emma frowned. "Maybe… I've only done it once and it was kind of an accident, teleported I mean… But… Regina, are you sure? I cannot promise that you will be safe."

Regina studied their hands, fingers intertwined… "If we run, we will be that way forever. Running. We will never be safe, we will never be free."

"If we stay we will never be free!"

"We can… We can ensure our safety. You cannot promise, but I know the king. _I _can. We cannot leave the Princess. And my mother… She can cross realms. There is no escaping her. I… All I ever wanted was to escape, Emma. All I ever dreamed of. But it was a dream, not a reality. I cannot escape my life, who I am, where I come from. I must make something with the life I have. I wish I could run away with you, I wish I could go through with this… But we have to go back."

Emma looked at the woman beside her, her Queen, who thought things through so much more than she did, who was going to sacrifice everything because of her unwavering morals. She was going back to her _rapist_ because she wanted to protect his whinging daughter. And Emma knew that it was right.

"I understand." Emma got off the bed, taking Regina with her. They gripped hands tightly; Emma clenched her jaw and concentrated with all her might on the King's tent, where he would still be pinned to the ground.

"What about the pirate?" Regina asked suddenly. Emma laughed.

"It will be a good experience for him, finally being screwed over rather than doing the screwing."

The amusement was what she needed; she relaxed, whipped herself round, her magic pulling Regina with her. There was a puff of white smoke and they were back in the tent.

Regina drew in a ragged breath as she saw Leopold, still struggling on the ground. His eyes widened in terror and confusion when he saw them. Emma waved her hand so he was standing, still frozen in place, but with a little more dignity.

"Listen to me _very _carefully," Regina said - Emma had planned to do the talking, but Regina found that she wanted to. "After leaving to discuss, we have decided to stay. There are many conditions. If you violate a single one, I will allow Emma to kill you. And believe me, there is nothing she would enjoy more. Well, perhaps one or two things," she conceded, throwing Emma a seductive smile. Emma tried not to be stunned by the… The evil coming from the Queen's mouth.

"First," Regina said, her voice deep with power and control, "you will not come near me. We will be together only at functions when it is absolutely necessary. Emma Swan will be installed as a Lady in the castle, she will reside in my chambers, and she will no longer be a servant - she will be free to do as she pleases. Including," Regina paused, taking a shaky breath, "to leave, if she wishes. She will always be provided for. You will tell no one of any of this. You will tell them how happy you are in your new marriage. You may also tell them," she said, her voice rich with anguish, "that you and your wife are expecting a son."

At this, the king gasped, then almost smiled. Regina glared at him. "He may be yours by blood, but that is the extent of it," she said. "You will not corrupt him. I will not let you. He will be raised to be good and kind, with none of your cruelty. And when you die, he will be the best king this kingdom has ever seen. He will bring goodness to _everyone_."

"I knew you would see sense," Leopold said. "And for now, do as you please. I care not."

Regina paused, knowing it was bluster, but wanting to wipe even the fake confidence off his face. She held out her hand, palm up, and looked at it thoughtfully.

"I am a beautiful woman," she said. "However defiled by your… Attentions. It is not impossible that one night to come, one drunken night, you may find yourself tempted by something you will _never _have again. If you ever have that feeling, that temptation," a fireball erupted from Regina's hand, "I will take great pleasure in burning it off. _Slowly_."

The king shuddered, crossing his hands over himself. Regina laughed, a wicked, cruel laugh that made Emma want to throw up.

"Is that all?" Regina asked Emma. "Please, feel free to add anything."

"Regina gets everything she wants," Emma said. "You have no control over her. She is free, to come and go as she pleases… And if she wishes, she has political power, too. All soldiers, all Lords and Ladies, should be instructed that she is their queen, no matter her youth, and they must do her bidding."

Regina had let go of Emma's hand to make the fireball. Emma took her hand back, trying not to be afraid of what her mistress had turned into.

"Basically, you do whatever we say, you keep your mouth shut, and you don't fucking touch us. Yeah?" Emma said. The king nodded wordlessly.

"Deal," Emma said, practically dragging Regina out of the tent and back to their own. As soon as they were out of sight of the king, almost to Emma's relief, Regina sagged, her posture weakened. the cold, hard expression on her face disappeared to pure, painful emotion. Emma hugged her tightly, right there, out in the open.

"I do not know who I was," Regina stammered. Emma just held her.

"You did what you had to. You were… You were amazing," she admitted. "You're incredible when you're like that."

"I was… I was evil. I said I would burn his-" she burst into a fit of giggles. Emma joined her; they hurried back to their tent and curled up in the big warm bed.

Their laughter faded; the harsh reality of the situation crept up on them and brought a chill to the warm surroundings. Regina ran a hand across her stomach.

"I will never be away from him," she whispered. "Even when he dies. I will have a constant reminder. A reminder that I am somehow forced to love."

"Don't feel bad for loving your child," Emma said firmly. "This baby… What you said is true. It is only blood. Blood means nothing."

"I hate being Queen," Regina said. "And I am not even a true Queen. I am ridiculous to them, to the kingdom. A child."

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina. "There is nothing wrong with being a child. In a way I suppose we are both children. Is that so bad?"

Regina leaned into the embrace. "No… But I wonder what a real childhood would have been like."

"Wonderful," Emma said. "And we will see it yet. We will give it, to the Princess, and to your baby, your Prince. They will be the happiest children in the realm. And the kindest, too. You will raise them-"

"We, Emma," Regina said. "I… I do not want you to be beneath me. You let me decide everything. You always do as I say. But you do not have to. You are no longer my servant. You are my friend."

Emma blinked, her eyes prickling with inexplicable tears. "Then, _we_ will raise them as wonderful, beautiful people."

Regina nodded, her head getting heavier as the exhausting night caught up with her - even the magical slumber had not been very restful. Emma watched as Regina fell asleep, not following herself because she had too much to think about. There was something about the baby… How was he so powerful? So magical? Emma had heard, albeit in a tavern, that the most powerful magic came from true love - children that were the product of true love had inconceivable power. Emma had found it quite amusing that her strange, cowardly parents had been so perfectly compatible… She wondered where Regina's magic came from. From what Regina said, it had not been any love between her parents. Perhaps she was powerful because she needed to be… But the baby. The baby _felt _like love. He _was _love, so warm and kind and hopeful, growing in magic… How could he be? Regina did not love the king; the king did not love her. Emma was almost jealous of this impossibility. Regina could not love the king, because Regina loved _her_.

She bit her lip, trying not to fidget as Regina slept, leaning on her chest. Emma ran her hands absent mindedly through Regina's hair. There was only one person she knew of who might understand the baby. But he would never get anywhere near it.

* * *

In the morning, the servants broke camp at record speed, then followed the royal party, already racing back to the Castle. A messenger charged ahead to tell them; everyone would be returning by nightfall the next day. There was to be a grand ball to celebrate, a ball at which the King and Queen would make a special announcement. Cora Mills was first to see the message; her spies had intercepted it before allowing the messenger to continue.

A special announcement. Cora smiled to herself. So Regina had finally done something right. There was only one special announcement newlyweds made. Regina wondered how they had discovered. She could think of one sure way; she knew she and the king had a mutual friend.

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

The imp appeared with a flourish.

"Why, Cora, dearie, how well you look. The royal castle suits you."

"Indeed it does," she said happily. "I have a question for you, old friend."

"And what would that be?"

Rumple eyed the witch with distaste. She called them friends, but her usefulness was quickly dwindling. There were people with far greater power that Rumple wished to groom.

"Is my daughter pregnant?"

Rumple raised his eyebrows. "If she is, it's news to me. But she has been on her honeymoon… Why do you ask?"

Cora frowned. "A messenger just arrived. Apparently the King and Queen have a special announcement."

"Well, that _does _sound like a baby. How lovely. But it was not me that told her."

"It must have been magic, it's too soon… Regina is magical, a little?"

Rumple giggled. "Well that's an understatement. But she is not trained."

"So she could not know herself?"

"No. Unless…" he trailed off, thinking of the Queen's new companion. But he decided to keep that idea to himself, at least for now. Knowing Cora, she would do something stupid like kill Emma, instead of working out how to use her.

"Unless what?"

Rumple rolled his shoulders, his version of a shrug. "Nothing, dearie. For once, I'm stumped. If that is all?"

"For now," Cora said. Rumple let her hold on to her delusion of power over him, gave a little bow, and disappeared in his favourite acrid smoke. It did not actually have to be acrid - he had added that. It gave him an extra little something.

He appeared in his great dining room, where to his horror, his maid, Belle, was bound and gagged to his favourite chair. A snap of his fingers released her.

"Idiot!" he yelled. "What did you do?"

Belle blushed. "I'm sorry, Rumple, I couldn't stop them."

"Don't call me that. Who?"

"The men. They took something…"

"What men? What did they take? Spit it out girl, we don't have all day!"

"Two of them. One was tall man with a bow and arrow. The other was a pirate with a hook for a hand-"

"Hook? Hook is _here_? He should be in Neverland!"

"I don't know-"

"Oh, quiet, girl. I'll explain later. Or not. What did they take?"

Belle bit her lip. "I mean, it was strange, they left the gold, the jewels… They just took that pot plant, the one that looks like a weed. They were very careful with it, just like you are, but I don't understand."

Rumple screamed with rage. "That was not just a pot plant. Those were the beans."

"The what?"

"THE BEANS! Beans, girl, beans! Magic beans."

"What are magic beans?"

Rumple groaned exasperatedly. "Little silvery things that you throw at the ground to make portals. Quite wonderful things. They take a good long time to grow. I've been nursing that plant for YEARS. Thankfully, I believe it still has another year to go. So we have plenty of time to kill the thieves and get it back."

"Make portals… To where?"

"Why, anywhere! Anywhere at all," Rumple said dreamily. "Even other realms."

"Wait. Your… Your boy, is he in another realm?"

Rumple's eyes twinkled. "My, my, aren't you quick? Yes."

"So you want to go there?"

"No, dearie, I was thinking of going to another other realm… Of course I want to go there!"

Belle paused. "If… If I help you find the beans, can I come?"

Rumple rolled his eyes. "Little Belle, always searching for adventure. No. I work alone." _It will be dangerous there. There will be no magic. I won't be able to protect you. _Rumple hid his fear, his shame in not keeping Belle safe today… He was lucky the thieves hadn't known how much she meant to him, or they would have done a lot worse than tie her up.

* * *

Princess Snow ran to her balcony, squealing with delight as she saw her father's carriage.

"Johanna, Johanna, they're home!" she called. Johanna went to the balcony too.

"So they are," she said softly. She had heard the message; the very walls of the castle seemed to spread gossip. Johanna thought of the Queen on her wedding night, the broken, beaten girl, then looked at Snow, only a little younger. Children. They were _both _children. Why should Snow be so blissfully happy when Regina, her "stepmother", was little more than a prisoner of the royal household?

Cora joined them on the balcony.

"Well, isn't this lovely? We are all one big, happy family now."

Snow looked up at her, fear in her eyes. She did not know what had happened with Daniel, the man Regina had said she loved, and she was very glad Regina was to be in her family after all, but there was something about Cora that made her shiver, despite the warm weather.

"Yes, Grandmother," she whispered.

Cora pursed her lips. "Run along now, Snow. Go downstairs and greet your parents."

Snow did as instructed, happy to be dismissed from Cora's intimidating presence. Cora narrowed her eyes at Johanna.

"They may be in the same castle as you, but nothing has changed. Stay away from my daughter. You are her servant. Nothing more."

Johanna nodded sadly, then left to go down to the kitchen. A huge feast was being prepared…

* * *

Emma sat in Regina's carriage, stiff and uncomfortable in her new dress. It was red, bright and beautiful, drawing attention to everything, her assets, her figure, just _her_. She could not go unnoticed. She was also wearing a corset for the first time.

"Regina, I can't _breathe_," she muttered. Regina rolled her eyes.

"You'll get used to it. I've been wearing them since I was Snow's age. She will start soon, I believe she already wants to."

"Wants to? Why would anyone want to? She shouldn't be wearing corsets, she should be running around outside!"

Regina looked down at her own white dress, not fancy enough to be a wedding dress, but chosen by her mother to highlight her purity, her goodness.

"I couldn't agree more," she said a little sadly. "But perhaps we can arrange it… She is in great need of riding lessons."

"Now that sounds fun!"

"And she can help with the apple orchard I intend to plant."

Emma could see the hope in Regina's eyes. Every day she found something else about the woman to admire. Resigned to a life at the castle, she was already thinking of ways to enjoy it.

"I could never wallow in pain," Regina said, as if she had read Emma's mind. "I am a woman of action. Though, if I had not met you, I fear my actions might have been much more negative."

Emma raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"You said I was the reason you did not kill the king. Well, Emma, you are the reason I did not kill him."

"Bullshit!" Now it felt like Regina's word. Regina smiled. Emma continued. "You would never have killed him," Emma insisted.

"You are wrong. If it were not for you, I would have had nothing to live for. And nothing not to kill for. Perhaps I am good… But I have just as much potential for evil. On my wedding day, I could already feel the marriage turning me black. But then I met you, and you saved me. You saved my heart, Emma. You are _saving _my heart."

Emma bit her lip, almost crying. She clasped Regina's hand.

"Then you are saving mine," she whispered. "But I still hate the dress."

Regina laughed. "Well I think it is very… becoming."

Emma pushed out her chest, an ample amount of cleavage on show.

"Oh, you do, do you?" she asked, batting her eyelids flirtatiously. Regina stepped across the carriage to sit beside her instead of opposite, and for once, she was the one to put her arm around Emma.

"There is such light inside of you," she murmured. Emma snuggled into her.

"Yes. And you lit it."

Regina rolled her eyes at how soppy they were being.

"You know," she said, "I never thought about it before but… Maybe being a Queen could be fun. I mean… I am in charge now. My mother is here, but I outrank her. I outrank _everyone_. Everyone except Leopold - and actually, we have that deal with him."

Emma laughed. "Please remember me on your power trip," she chuckled. Regina gave her a squeeze.

"We are going to have so much fun," she promised, herself as well as Emma. Emma turned to face her.

"You are the bravest person I have ever met," Emma said. Regina felt a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Do not look at me like that," she muttered. Emma looked harder, resting her hands cautiously on Regina's waist.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like… Like I'm something special."

Emma grinned. "I can't help it. You are something special."

Their faces were now just inches apart. Regina felt her breath catch in her throat as Emma paused, ready to kiss her, desperate to kiss her, but forcing herself not to. Guilt flooded Regina as she realised she was glad Emma did not close the gap between their mouths. Perhaps she should do it. But she could not… She frowned, casting her eyes down, but Emma put two fingers under her chin, keeping her head up. Their eyes met again and Emma smiled.

"Do not be ashamed," she said. "I would be content if this was the most I could ever do."

Regina felt even more guilty, but Emma would not let her hide her face.

"I-" Regina began, but she was interrupted as the carriage ground to a halt. Emma jumped back to the opposite seat just in time as a manservant to opened the door and bowed to them.

"Your Majesty. Lady Swan." He placed a step for them to get out; Emma was first, ignoring the gloved hand he offered to help her down, then giving Regina her own hand. Regina continued to hold it long after she was out of the carriage, but realised her mother would be inside, so adjusted things, linking their arms instead.

"Don't let her get to you. She will never hurt you again," Emma whispered in Regina's ear. Regina nodded gratefully, then held her head high as they walked into the entrance hall.

"Her Majesty, Queen Regina, and Lady Emma Swan," the crier called. Snow launched herself into Regina's arms.

"Stepmother!" she cried. "I missed you."

Regina knelt down to hug her properly, real love in her eyes. "Why don't you call me Regina? I am not the age to be your mother. And you already have a wonderful mother - I am not offended that I am not her."

Snow hugged even tighter. "Thank you, Regina."

Regina stood to Emma's admiration and Cora's raised eyebrows. She ignored her mother.

"Snow, this is Lady Swan."

"But call me Emma," Emma added.

"She is a great friend of mine, and she would like to be your friend too."

Snow grinned, then hugged Emma too. Emma put her arms awkwardly around the cannonball Princess. Snow then went to greet her father, and Cora looked Emma up and down.

"Lady Swan," she said, the disdain in her voice obvious. "What a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Mills," Emma said, emphasising the title, emphasising that they were equals.

Cora moved to lightly embrace her daughter. "Regina, dear, you are positively glowing. I know it is a secret until tomorrow night but, congratulations, my love. I am proud of you."

Regina returned the embrace. "Thank you, mother," she said icily. "And now, Emma and I will retire. The journey has been very tiring. Could you ask if our supper could be sent to my chambers?"

Cora nodded, too shocked at being ordered around by her daughter to do anything but accept it. Regina smiled, then took Emma's arm.

"Snow, dear, would you like to join us?"

Snow almost bounced with glee.

"Really? I would love to, ste- Regina."

Regina gave her a much more genuine smile, then held out her free hand.

"Come along then, dear."

Snow took the offered hand, grinning back at her bemused father. Emma looked at Regina enquiringly. She approved of the invitation, but she was still surprised that Regina had made it.

In fact, Regina had surprised herself, too. But she had thought of Snow, of her strange childhood, living only with people far older than her. It was not her fault she did not understand the world. She never saw it. So Regina banished all thoughts of anger and revenge, held Emma a little tighter, and committed herself to bringing Snow the happiness she deserved.

* * *

A/N: Please review! See, I always update eventually...


	7. Chapter 7

"I don't know why I agreed to do this. I _hate _pirates," Robin Hood said angrily, readjusting his bow on his shoulder as he carried the ugly pot plant onto the Jolly Roger.

"Because you hate the imp, he's the richest and worst of them all, and because I am paying you handsomely," Captain Hook replied happily.

"Hey! That money is not for me. It's to feed a starving village." He picked up the treasure chest Hook offered and made to leave the ship.

"Whatever you say, thief."

"I am no thief."

"As you say. Go back to your darling wife and son. Distribute the gold as you see fit."

Robin paused on the dock, looking up at his employer. "What did I just risk my life for?" he asked.

Hook chuckled. "We just covered why _you _did it. But if you mean why did I do it? What we just stole, mate, has power beyond even the Dark One himself."

Robin raised his eyebrows. Hook grinned.

"Telling you any more would just endanger your life. Off you go. I have places to be."

Robin nodded, then departed, returning home to his worried wife and their baby son. Hook made sail, soaring out into the ocean in search of a distant land, somewhere safe to grow and nurture the plant he had been destined to own. Perhaps he was not able to kill the Dark One, yet, but he had a far better idea. He was going to find Rumpelstiltskin's son.

* * *

Regina sat at the table in her room. Emma was opposite her, and Snow sat between them, eagerly devouring her share of the meal as she poured out an incessant stream of questions about the Honeymoon.

"How did you like the summer lands?" she asked Regina. "Did you see the beach?"

Regina nodded. "I loved it. I had never seen the ocean before."

"Really? How could you not have seen it?"

"I did not travel in my youth."

"I had not seen it before, either," Emma added.

"Who is she?" Snow demanded, ignoring Emma and asking Regina directly.

"Please do not be rude, Snow. Lady Swan is a very dear friend, and you should show her respect."

"But she is beneath us," Snow whispered. Regina narrowed her eyes, looking straight at her stepdaughter.

"No. She is not. She is our equal, as are all people. Do you not wish to be her friend?"

Snow looked Emma up and down.

"She is very beautiful," the Princess conceded.

Regina tutted. "If that is how you make your judgements, I fear for your future."

Snow did not quite understand. Emma laughed, not at all bothered by Snow's rudeness. "Look, Your Highness, I've no wish to be a Princess. I quite enjoy my lower class, and the freedom that comes from it."

Snow nodded. "I suppose it is not all good… Regina, are you going to have a baby?"

Regina bit her lip, widening her eyes to Emma as if to ask how Snow could have known. Regina decided to be honest.

"Yes. I am."

Snow looked close to tears. "If you have a boy, I will not be Queen."

Regina nodded. "You are correct, Snow. But I assure you, being Queen is not all you believe."

"But you have the most beautiful dresses…"

At this, Regina had to laugh too. "Snow, you are going to have a wonderful life. Especially if you pay attention to your lessons. You will have joys far beyond dresses and finery… But I am fairly certain that if when you are grown, dresses are still what you desire, you shall have one for every day of the year, and they will be the most beautiful garments in the realm."

Snow seemed to be thinking, stretching her ten-year-old brain. "What is better than being Queen?" she asked. Regina considered this.

"Many, many things. Love, for one."

"But you have love. You love my father. And you love me."

Regina pursed her lips. "Indeed, I have great love for my family. But it is not quite the same. I suppose what I mean is… Being Queen involves a great deal of responsibility. You will always be one of the most important women in the Kingdom, but if you are not Queen, you will also be free."

Snow was not a heartless child, and she did not miss the pain in Regina's voice. "Are you not free?"

Regina bit her lip. "In a way, no, I am not."

To everyone's surprise, Snow reached across the table and took Regina's hand.

"I am sorry that you are sad. I want you to be happy in our family."

Regina took in a deep breath. "And I shall be, dear. As will Emma," she added pointedly. Snow blushed, a little embarrassed.

"I apologise, Lady Swan," she said sincerely. "I was rude… I suppose I was jealous. I have longed for a friend in this Castle, but it seemed that you were Regina's friend, now… But that was not fair. And if you make her happier, I am very glad that you are staying."

Emma smiled at the girl. Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all. "Thank you Snow. I forgive you. And there is no reason why we could not all be friends."

Snow grinned. "Really? You mean… Will you play with me?"

Regina rolled her eyes. Emma laughed.

"What do you play?" she asked. Snow grinned.

"Princesses."

Emma was confused. "But you are a princess…" she said.

"Yes, but not a grown up one," Snow explained, as if this was completely obvious. "I play at getting ready for balls, dancing with princes…"

"You need to have some adventures," Regina told her. "The best princesses have adventures."

Emma laughed. "Regina is right. Do you ride, Snow?"

Snow nodded, but she was uncomfortable. "I have not ridden since the day I met Regina," she admitted.

"Well," Emma said. "I think it is high time you got back on that horse. How would you like to come riding with us… I guess it'll have to be the day after tomorrow?"

Regina groaned. "Day after that. A lot of nobles will stay the night after the ball. We will have to entertain them, we will not get away that day."

"So… Monday. Monday we'll go riding," Emma said. "If you both want to?"

"I would love to," Regina said, remembering to smile at Snow. Snow smiled back, a little less nervous than when riding had first been mentioned.

"Alright," she said. "I would love to."

They moved from the table and settled by the fire. Regina found herself absent mindedly braiding Snow's hair. Snow smiled into the dancing flames.

"I am so glad you are with us, Regina," she said softly. Regina did not answer. For a fleeting moment, she imagined wrapping her fingers around the wicked child's neck, the child that had ruined her one chance at freedom, at happiness-

She gasped, dropping Snow's hair.

"What is it?" Emma asked. Snow turned, too.

"Are you okay, Regina?"

Regina nodded wordlessly, and, with perfect timing as always, Cora chose that moment to enter the room unannounced.

"Snow, do run along dear," she said. "You too, Lady Swan," she added, as if Emma was nothing more than an afterthought.

Snow disappeared instantly but Emma lingered, not wanting to leave Regina alone for a second with her witch of a mother.

"You would do well to obey me, girl," Cora said. "Don't think I don't know who you are. Now, leave us, or I will make you."

Regina nodded to Emma, telling her it was okay. Emma did not believe her, but she walked slowly from the room. She waited immediately outside the door, but Cora locked it with a flick of her hand.

"I see you have made a friend," she said to her daughter. "She is… fascinating."

Regina nodded. There was no use denying it. "She has been a great comfort to me."

"So I see. Regina, my dear, do not forget how you came to be here?"

"Because you killed my fiance right in front of me and forced me to marry a man three times my age? I doubt I will ever forget that!"

"Calm yourself, child. You are being quite foolish."

"I am neither foolish, nor a child, and you would do well to remember that I am your Queen!" Regina shouted, sounding a little more desperate than she would have liked, but still getting her point across. Cora was stunned silent for at least three seconds. Then she raised her hand.

Regina was ready. She grabbed her mother's wrist.

"You will never touch me again," she said. Cora sighed.

"Oh, my dear, I only meant to hold you," she said, the picture of innocence. Slowly, Regina released her grip and Cora pulled her into a soft embrace.

"Darling," she said gently, "I am so proud of you."

Regina did not know what to think. She was terrified, so terrified, and yet almost… Almost hopeful. She pulled back.

"No. No!" There were tears in her eyes. "You ripped out his heart. I loved him, mother, I loved him! I loved him and I watched him die, I watched him die in my arms-"

"He was a stable boy, Regina," Cora said coldly. "Look around you. You are a _Queen_. I did what I had to."

Regina shook her head. "Get out, before I banish you from the entire Castle and not just my chambers."

Cora shook her head sympathetically. "You will not banish me from anywhere, my dear. I know your husband, he respects me far more than he does you."

"Fine. What do you want, then?"

"This Swan woman… Who is she?"

"She is a respectable lady, and she is my friend. Anything else about her is none of your concern."

"Regina, dear, I am not blind. And what you do behind closed doors does not greatly concern me, though I do not understand in the slightest how _that _could bring you pleasure. But, anyway, as long as you serve your husband-"

"I am pregnant, mother! I believe that is proof enough of my servitude."

"Yes, yes, dear, but… Is it really wise to have her installed in your chambers? People will talk. And how do you know her intentions are pure?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "You will not come between us, mother. People will not talk - they, in their _sanity_, will see the truth, which is that Lady Swan is my _friend_. And I will be the judge of her intentions."

"I do not need to remind you, my love, that especially now you are Queen, many people will want to take advantage of you."

"Yes, mother, and you have never been guilty of that," Regina said sarcastically.

"Goodness, you really have grown up. Remember, my daughter, I am still fully capable of teaching you a lesson-"

She was interrupted by the fireball blossoming in Regina's hand.

"No," Regina said firmly. "And you have said your piece about Emma. You can leave now."

Cora gave Regina one last glare. "We are not finished here," she said eventually. "But I do love you."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Sure you do," she muttered as her mother left the room.

Emma charged back in immediately. Regina was sitting on the bed, shaking. Emma ran to her side.

"What did she do?" Emma demanded. Regina gazed at her, wide eyed.

"Nothing," she whispered. "I… I didn't let her."

Emma pulled Regina into a hug.

"You are amazing," she said. "I am so proud of you. And kind of glad I don't have to kill your mother."

Regina finally relaxed into Emma's arms.

"I didn't let her," she repeated, her shaking turning into happy sobs. "I'm strong, Emma. I'm strong."

Emma held her at arm's length, looking directly into her dark eyes that, for once, had a trace of hope in them.

"Yes, Regina. Yes, you are."

Regina was silent, keeping eye contact, knowing exactly what she wanted to do next. She was no longer a child, she was no longer a victim, she did not have to be afraid… She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes and crashed her mouth into Emma's with such a force that Emma was knocked back onto the bed.

Emma breathed Regina in, opening herself up to her, lying back in the bed and letting Regina show her power in a kiss that lasted significantly longer than three seconds. Lips, tongue, even teeth…

"You still taste like the beach," Regina said when they finally broke apart, gasping for air. Emma grinned.

"You just taste like you," she said, and then they were kissing again, chests heaving, hands tangled everywhere. After a few more glorious minutes, Emma carefully pulled back.

"What?" Regina asked. Emma bit her lip, not wanting to hurt her.

"I… I don't want it to end badly," she admitted. "And I know you don't want to be hurt. I know you want to be ready for this. But… You don't have to pretend, with me. I felt you stiffen, just then. You got over it, but it's okay. You can tell me. I don't want you to force anything with me."

Regina's eyes prickled with tears at Emma's selflessness.

"But I would have…" she said slowly.

"I know," Emma said.

"And you wanted to-"

"Yes."

"Then why-"

"Because you didn't," Emma said. It sounded so simple.

"But I did, for you-"

"That's not the same." Emma took Regina's hand. "Regina, you deserve… You deserve to be _worshipped_. And that is what I intend to do."

Regina lifted Emma's hand and kissed it. "But so do you."

Emma blushed. This was not where she had expected the conversation to go.

"I…" she said helplessly. Regina kissed her wrist.

"You're right," Regina said. "I'm not ready." She kissed a little higher. "But when I am," another kiss, "there will not just be one person being worshipped."

She kissed the base of Emma's neck; Emma gasped. "Furthermore," Regina continued, "while you were right to stop," a kiss to Emma's jaw, "now that I look at you I find myself," a kiss to Emma's cheek, "entirely recovered."

Their lips met again, slower this time. Emma was very aware that they were in a bed. A very large, comfortable bed. But in the end their kiss ended quite naturally. They lay in each other's arms, absorbing warmth, comfort, things neither of them had experienced very often. Regina could feel herself falling asleep.

"We should change," she said. Emma had held on to her shabby nightshirt and insisted on wearing it, despite Regina's offers of countless other garments. Regina enjoyed helping her out of the corset.

"How often am I going to have to wear one of those monstrosities?" Emma asked, groaning with relief as it was removed.

"Pretty much every day until you die," Regina said cheerfully, sighing with relief as Emma helped her out of her own.

They went into the bathroom. Regina bit her lip as the memories came back to her. She looked back into the bedroom, at the bed where she had kissed Emma… It was just a bed, she told herself firmly. No matter the bed, she would be in it, and she was the one with the memories. It was actually a very nice bed. She bit her lip.

Emma prepared the bath, old habits meaning she did it. A servant had already brought up water, she needed only to heat it.

"I'll leave you," she said. Regina wanted to ask her to stay, she really did, but something held her tongue still in her mouth. Emma went into another bedroom down the hall. There was a door to it through Regina's living room. It had its own washroom… Regina washed quickly, wishing she had at least told Emma "goodnight".

Regina returned to her bedroom and stared down the bed, its four wooden posts, its clean sheets, fresh pillows, fresh blankets… She closed her eyes but it did no good - the images that flooded her vision were in her mind. She gripped a bedpost, her nails leaving new marks in the wood. It was all getting mixed up, everything in that bed, everything there, why did it have to be-

Regina jumped back, gasping at the heat under her palm. She opened her eyes and saw the bedpost was on fire, quickly lighting up the whole bed. The magical flames burned it up in seconds. She stared at the charred space in her room.

"Well, well, well Dearie, you've come on enormously."

Regina whipped around, a fireball already in her hand as she faced Rumpelstiltskin. He laughed.

"You know as well as I do that you cannot harm me."

Regina sighed, then got rid of the fireball. It had been instinct anyway.

"What do you want, Rumple?" she asked. He smiled.

"Why, just to see how you are. You burned the bed. What did it ever do to you?"

He regretted the joke a little when a flash of pain crossed her face, but he hid any trace of emotion. He had to be cruel. He had a reputation to uphold.

"I am well, as you see."

"Indeed. And… you are with child?"

Regina glared at him. "Yes. And I thought-"

"It was not foolproof if the baby was already there. It seems I underestimated your power. Perhaps that was enough to keep the child alive."

Regina could tell Rumple was not convinced, but she was not about to let him come any closer, let alone examine her baby.

"I will see you tomorrow for your lesson-"

"No," Regina said. "I do not want lessons from you any more."

"But you have so much promise! You should not give up. Your talent is _far _beyond your mother's."

Regina had to smile at the compliment, even though she knew he only said it to please her. "I have no intention of giving up. But I do not want your darkness."

"You have someone else! I knew it! Your Swan…"

"Don't you dare," Regina said, instantly regretting showing how much she cared.

"Ooh, so invested. Tell me, Dearie, about this Lady Swan."

"No," Regina said firmly. "We do not need you."

"It would appear you do not. But there will come a time when you need my help. I am sure of it." He looked pointedly at Regina's stomach. "Now, go to your lady. Learn her _light_, lovely ways. And hope that I can be bothered to come when you call."

Regina held in her angry response, knowing somewhere deep down that she could not afford to burn this bridge just yet.

Rumple poofed himself away, reappearing in Cora's chambers.

"Who is the girl?!" Cora demanded immediately. "What does she have that I do not?"

"Aside from genuine affection for your daughter? I do not know."

Cora rolled her eyes. "Affection, pah. Love is weakness, Regina knows that. What she really craves is power, and power I can give her. She will see."

"If you say so, Dearie."

"But this Swan woman, I must know - is there _anything _special about her? Anything other than this ridiculous affection?"

Rumple grinned. "Nothing in my area of expertise," he said. It wasn't even a lie. Of course, he knew a great deal about light magic. But it could not be called his expertise.

"So it will pass… Perhaps I should just kill her."

"I wouldn't do that, Cora dear. Regina barely coped when you took her stable boy. Why risk it? Lady Swan is harmless enough, I am sure. And now I must be going. I have another matter to attend to."

He disappeared. Cora glared at the space where he had been, sniffed with distaste, then prepared for bed. She trusted him. She did not really have much of a choice.

Emma, meanwhile, was staring in wonder at the intricate plasterwork of her ceiling, arching her back into the downy comfort of her bed. She was just dozing off when there was a tentative knock on her door, the door leading to Regina's chambers. She jumped up and opened the door immediately.

"What do you need?" she asked kindly.

"I… I may have set my bed on fire," Regina admitted. She tried to say it in an amused way but Emma easily saw through her.

"Come on," Emma said, taking Regina's hand and leading her to the smaller, trauma free bed. If any bed in the Castle could really be trauma free. Emma pushed that wonderful thought out of her mind and gently helped Regina into the bed, tucking her in.

"I'll sleep on the-"

"Here," Regina finished for her. Emma climbed in behind her, wrapping the smaller woman up in her arms and kissing the top of her head.

"Here," she agreed.

"Goodnight, Emma," Regina said, glad she had the chance after all. Emma smiled.

"Goodnight, Regina."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading, my dears! As always, please review - it is really helpful and lovely and lots of other nice things, okay! x


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I know that one of the songs used in this chapter was also used in FSOG - a VILE movie which I do not endorse in any way. The song, however, is a timeless classic and I love it. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: This chapter describes the cinnamon challenge. A reviewer told me that people have been hurt attempting this. While I know many people have done it with no adverse affects, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, or if you do, do so at your own risk. Cinnamon in large quantities is a caustic substance, it can damage your lungs. Just as you can fall out of trees when you climb them, it's your responsibility to take care in the activities you attempt. Just in case, as an author, and basically to cover my ass (and maybe yours), I have to advise you not to do this. In a work of fiction, characters can have way fewer worries!

* * *

_I put a spell on you_

_'Cause you're mine_

_You better stop the things you do_

_I ain't lyin'_

_No I ain't lyin'_

_You know I can't stand it_

_You're runnin' around_

_You know better baby_

_I can't stand it cause you put me down_

_Yeah, Yeah_

_I put a spell on you_

_Because you're mine_

_You're mine_

_I love ya_

_I love you_

_I love you_

_I love you anyhow_

_And I don't care_

_If you don't want me_

_I'm yours right now_

_You hear me_

_I put a spell on you_

_Because you're mine_

"_I put a spell on you" - Jay Hawkins (covered by Annie Lennox)_

* * *

Emma had woken early to an empty bed. She had looked all around Regina's chambers, but they had been deserted. She wrapped a robe around herself, hiding her "hideous" nightshirt, and went out into the corridor in search of her friend. She knew the castle well enough but in the eerie dawn light, the dark hallways seemed vast and unfamiliar. She looked around, wondering where Regina might have gone. She was more than a little worried that the King or Regina's terror of a mother had snatched her away in the night.

_I would have woken up, _Emma told herself firmly. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, clearing her head. And that was when she heard it. Piano music, incredibly faint… Emma followed the sound, the swaying staccato chords, a kind of melody she had never heard before. Almost a waltz but more… more dangerous. As Emma got closer, she realised it was a song. Regina was singing as she played. She had a surprisingly low voice, rasping as the notes deepened. Emma felt the seductive tone send a delicious ripple through her abdomen.

She was right outside the door now; she opened it carefully, trying not to make a sound. She peered into the room and saw Regina, dressed in only her nightdress, leaning over a huge grand piano, eyes closed, singing with passion Emma felt privileged to see. She crept inside, listening to the brand new melody, words that seemed purely Regina's, words about magic, about love, and about… Anger. Emma slipped, unused to the long robe. She steadied herself, but not without banging into a dresser.

Regina's eyes snapped open; her fingers hovered above the ivory keys as stared at the intruder like a wild animal caught in the firelight.

"Don't stop," Emma whispered. Regina bit her lip. She had never played her own music for anyone before. But she took in a shaky breath, then continued the piece. She hated that she had come to the desperate declarations of love, but she only hated it because it was so fitting.

She wondered about the final line. It had come from the part of her mother within her that she could never seem to banish.

"You're _mine_."

Emma felt the anguish of the line, the bittersweet implications. Regina played the final chord, then jumped back from the piano with something like relief.

"I hardly even know what the words mean," she said. "They just came to me one day. As if there was nothing else I could say."

"I understand, I think," Emma said, approaching Regina cautiously, aware of wild eyes and tense limbs. "The girl… She loves the person she's talking about. But her love makes her want to control them. And magic just makes it all more complicated."

Regina smiled, liking Emma's interpretation.

"You wrote it?" Emma asked. Regina nodded in confirmation.

"Have you written anything else?"

Regina looked at the piano. It was obvious to Emma that she had.

"I… No one's ever heard it. My mother made me learn the classics. Some of them are so, so beautiful. But I don't know, I just…" She trailed off, not sure what she was trying to say.

Emma looked around. The room was full of thin books, music, presumably. There was a huge window showing the castle grounds and the landscape stretching beyond them.

"I never knew about this room," she said. Regina followed her gaze out of the window.

"When I became engaged to Leopold, I was given a tour of the castle. His first wife played the harp, but not the piano. I don't know when this room was last used… I asked to have the piano tuned. Leopold seemed keen to please me, then. I gave him a small concert to thank him. But this is actually the first time I have played this piano in… In my own way."

Slowly, she approached the instrument again and sat down on the wide stool before it. She pressed down a key. G. She pressed it again, harder, letting it ring out. Emma sat down beside her.

"Do you want me to teach you?" Regina asked. Emma grinned in surprise.

"You would?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Did I not just say that?"

Emma laughed. "Okay. Teach."

Regina pointed to the black keys. "These mean you can find your way around. There is a lot of musical theory but… For now, you see the groups of two and three?"

Emma nodded, concentrating hard.

"Okay, so basically the piano, and notes in general, are in groups of 8. Actually there are a lot more than 8 but anyway… 8 white ones, right? We start in the middle, the white one right before the two black keys is a C. The one in the middle of the piano is called middle C, and that's kind of your anchor…"

It took a ridiculously long time to explain enough to Emma for what Regina was planning, but finally Emma could reliably play a pattern of 4 notes, low down on the piano: G, the E below it, the A above that, the D below that.

"I'm going to start by telling you when to change, but I think you'll feel it… I think you hear the music. It'll make sense when to change."

Emma looked at Regina disbelieving.

Regina started to play, both hands. Emma realised Regina's left was following the same pattern as her part, just with many elaborations. Emma tried to concentrate on her own part, but she found herself stopping to watch Regina's hands flow around the piano; her right joined in with a smooth, melancholy melody that held great sadness, yet also hope.

"Why is it that the D ones are hopeful?" Emma asked.

Regina thought about explaining that D was the 5th chord of G, the key of her piece, and the 5th was the best chord to lead on to a new phrase, giving it the feeling of hope… But in the end she just said it was because the chord rises - that was how she felt it worked, anyway.

They continued to play; the structure of the piece was such that even when she had finished, Regina could easily improvise around the chords. She admired the musical way Emma played her notes, hitting them perfectly in time. Regina bit her lip. She decided to do a little test. She changed her chord pattern, playing on a different scale. Emma, who had been watching the repetitive motion of Regina's left hand and listening intently, noticed immediately. She didn't even play the note that would have clashed. Instead, she watched Regina's left hand harder and gritted her teeth in determination as she gently pressed another note - one that fitted with the chord. It wasn't the keynote, but Regina would give her that. She'd been playing an inversion; it was incredibly impressive that Emma had fitted with it at all.

"Cheat," Emma muttered under her breath. Regina laughed, going back to the original pattern. She brought the piece to a close.

"It could go on forever," she said.

"Does it have a name?"

Regina looked at the keys. "It never did… I started playing it years ago. But it makes me think of spinning, round and round."

"Because it always comes back to the same place, the same pattern," Emma said.

"Exactly. You are an excellent student, Emma."

Emma tried not to blush with pride.

"Will you keep teaching me?" she asked. Regina promised that she would.

"But now, we must wash and dress for breakfast. We will be expected in the Great Hall."

Emma groaned. Regina looked at her. "You don't have to come," she said. "I do, but you can remain here, or in your room…"

"No! I didn't mean I don't want to go with you," Emma promised. "I just wish we didn't have to go."

She put her arm around Regina; they indulged in a lingering embrace, still seated on the piano stool.

"We should go," Regina murmured. Emma sighed, then waved her arm, poof-ing them into their room. Regina laughed in surprise.

"I'm getting so much better at that," Emma said happily.

"Teach me?" Regina asked.

Emma was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. She looked at Regina questioningly; Regina shrugged.

"Enter," she called in her most queenly voice. Two maids appeared.

"Are you ready to dress, Your Majesty?" the older of the two asked. Regina wished she did not have to be dressed by anyone but Emma, but knew they would have to go along with things like this. At least for now. She gave Emma an apologetic glance before nodding.

"Yes, thank you."

Their respective maids followed them into their respective bedrooms; Emma tried not to scream when Betty or Susan or whatever her damn name was pulled her corset as if she was an evil mistress of torture. Emma and Regina both declined to have their hair done, dismissing their help as soon as reasonably possible.

Emma practically ran into Regina's room.

"Oh my God please tell me that won't happen every day!"

Regina sighed. "I am afraid it might. But you look beautiful!"

Emma was wearing an elaborate emerald dress that made her eyes look greener than ever. Regina motioned for her to sit at the vanity; she took a little of the long blonde hair and braided it. Emma chuckled.

"That is not exactly the fashion, Your Majesty," she said, switching places and giving Regina a matching braid.

"We will make it the fashion," Regina said confidently. Sure enough, by mid morning, not only was Princess Snow wearing her hair that way, but several of the maids had created similar braids before twisting their hair back into their caps again.

Breakfast was a stiff affair, though Snow managed to be quite sweet. Emma decided Regina was a good influence already. The remainder of the day was devoted to preparing for the ball. Regina cornered Leopold, refusing even to think of him as her king.

"You may make a _short _announcement. As short as possible. I will stand at your side."

"And a dance? Regina, we must have a dance-"

"One," Regina said, knowing she had to agree to this. "But if you ask for a second I will-"

"No, no," Leopold said, becoming entertainingly flustered. "I will not ask for any more."

Regina gave him a short nod, then left him to it and went in search of Emma, who had disappeared somewhere again, with Snow skipping after her like a puppy.

"Why are you following me?" Emma demanded. "Go do royal things!"

"I am royal, everything I do is royal," Snow said happily. "But… I don't have to come with you. I just want to be friends."

To Emma's horror, Snow seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"Hey, hey! You can come, okay, that would be awesome! Don't cry!" Emma said, looking at Snow as if she was a bomb about to explode. Snow grinned. Emma had a horrible feeling she had just been played, but when they reached their destination (the kitchen) Snow was actually kind of hilarious.

"Chocolate!" she squealed. Emma laughed as the Princess helped herself to a generous portion of chocolate pudding.

"This is my favourite part of parties," she told the girl. Snow licked her lips.

"I am not allowed chocolate. My governess says it is not good for little girls."

_Sexist bitch_, Emma said in her head.

"Lady Cora hates it, too," Snow continued.

"That doesn't surprise me," Emma said, sticking her finger straight into the chocolate sauce and licking it. "Hey, kid, what's your dad's favourite food?"

Snow thought about it. Then she laughed. "Why, but it's roast swan! Isn't that funny?"

Emma grimaced, but at least she could be sure she and Regina wouldn't be eating the bird. Her idea continued to develop. In the end she just surreptitiously picked her nose and flicked her booger into the swan gravy when Snow wasn't looking.

"D'you like your dad much?" Emma asked, forgetting her formal tone now she was back in familiar territory. Snow was too absorbed by the candy to notice.

"He's the king. Everybody likes him," Snow said, a little confused.

"Yeah, but…" Emma was looking in cupboards for something. She pulled out a jar, grinning.

"He can be angry sometimes. But he has to be. To rule the kingdom."

Emma gave up on the conversation, then grabbed two spoons from a drawer and held out the jar.

"Wanna play a game?" she asked.

Snow looked at the jar dubiously.

"What game?"

"It's like a challenge," Emma said. "You take a spoonful of this stuff in the jar, and if you can swallow it, you win."

Snow was pretty sure she was missing something. It sounded way too easy.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing bad!" Emma insisted. "It's cinnamon. It's nice."

Snow took the spoon Emma offered.

"If it's nice, why is it a challenge?" she asked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Stop being a wimp and just do it."

Regina appeared in the kitchen just in time to see both Snow and Emma open their mouths and shove in spoonfuls of the spice. With the air of a pro, Emma took a pitcher of ale, held up a finger, swallowed, then downed the pitcher. Snow watched, wide eyed… She was fine until she tried to swallow.

Cinnamon dust exploded all over the kitchen as Snow coughed; squealing with laughter Emma hauled her into the scullery so she didn't get it all over the food, then offered her the ale. Snow almost took it when Regina shoved Emma's arm out of the way and handed the poor child water instead.

"Spoilsport," Emma said. Snow was still coughing; she had splatters of cinnamon all over her perfect pink dress. In Emma's opinion, the princess had never looked better. And to her genuine delight, when Snow could finally talk again, the girl grinned with pride.

"I did it!" she said. She looked at Regina. "You didn't do it," she pointed out. Emma had started it to tease Snow, but she admired the princess' enthusiasm. Emma was loathe to admit it, but she was beginning to like the kid.

"Snow's right, you didn't," Emma said, already on her way back to the kitchen for another spoonful. She brought it back to the scullery. She had refilled the ale.

"Go on, Your Majesty," she said, handing Regina the spoon. Regina looked from one wicked grin to another, then at the inevitably humiliating mouthful before her.

"I hate you both," she declared, but her eyes glittered with the childish feeling of breaking the rules, of doing something entirely _stupid_.

Snow sat on the counter, giggling as she never had before, and watched as Regina shoved the spoon into her mouth. Emma's stomach already ached with laughing but when a puff of cinnamon dust escaped from Regina's nose, she totally lost it.

"She's like a dragon!" Snow screamed. Emma laughed even harder - Regina swallowed, desperate to have her mouth free so she could reprimand them, but her swallow caused her to cough almost as much as Snow had. Emma handed her the ale; she drank heavily, ale joining the mess of cinnamon powder on her dress. Even Emma's outfit hadn't escaped. The three girls looked at each other, then burst into another fit of laughter.

"What in heaven's name is going on in here?!" came an angry yell. Snow jumped off the counter, blushing, and went to hide under the table. Emma joined her. Regina almost did too, but remembered at the last minute that she was the Queen and she could eat cinnamon and laugh her heart out if she damn well pleased.

"Oh, Your Majesty!" Johanna said, blushing. When she saw the guilty-faced trio, she had to hide a smirk of her own.

"Emma Swan, I expected better!" she said. "And you, Princess Snow, look what you've done to your lovely dress… Though it does not appear to be entirely your fault," she said, looking at the older girls sternly.

"Sorry," Emma said meekly. "But I made them laugh. Both of them."

"It was all her idea," Snow added.

"Rat," Emma said. Snow bit her lip.

"Sorry," she whispered to Emma. Emma softened.

"It's okay. But you had fun - don't tell on me!"

Snow nodded. "I… I'm not very good with secrets," she admitted sadly. Regina watched the exchange, actually feeling sympathy for the child.

"Perhaps you should all use the back stairs to go up and change?" Johanna suggested.

It was a good idea; Snow and Emma left, but Regina lingered. She wished she did not look quite so ridiculous.

"I know…" Regina said nervously. "I know being my maid cannot be the most interesting job. And Emma is wonderful, really… But why did you stop? I mean, if you want to tell me, you do not have to, it just seems like you are avoiding me and I just wondered if I did something-"

"Regina, dear," Johanna said, taking the brunette's hand. "I would still see you every day if I could. You did nothing to offend me, I promise. However, I cannot. That said, I think I am glad… Emma's antics seem to be just what you need."

Regina had to smile. "She is… She is like no one I have ever met."

"She is quite magical," Johanna said, a twinkle in her eye. "Now, Your Majesty, I am afraid you must go before you are missed."

Regina stared at Johanna, then something clicked .

"My mother, did she-"

"_Go_," Johanna begged. Regina did as she was asked, her suspicions as good as confirmed.

Snow was in her room with Emma, running around in only her undergarments as Emma chased her around the suite. They were both wielding large feather pillows. Regina sighed, slipped off her dress, and joined the game. She was tired, she was angry, and she was more than ready to hurl pillows around her stupidly fancy rooms.

"Regina?" Snow asked breathlessly.

"Yes, dear?" Regina asked from her hiding place behind a closet.

"Regina, what happened to your bed?"

Regina looked at the still-charred space where her bed had been.

"I, uh… I slipped with my candle," she said. "It burned."

Snow gasped. "I am glad you were not hurt!" she said. Emma laughed.

"She could have burned the whole castle down."

Regina launched her pillow at Emma. "Never," she said. Emma dodged the pillow easily.

"She's so clumsy," Emma said to Snow. Snow looked between the two women, feeling very lucky to be a part of their game, but also that she was missing something. She did not want to take sides, either.

"You should tell someone. They will bring you a new bed."

Regina nodded, then stood up straight. She could tell by the afternoon sun outside that it was time for them to dress.

"Snow, I hate to tell you to leave, but you must go and get ready for the ball. Emma and I must dress, too."

Snow smiled excitedly.

"Don't you like balls?" she asked Regina, seeing her new friend's discomfort. Regina bit her lip.

"They are very beautiful," she said eventually. Snow left the room, sensing this was the only answer she would get, but she could not help wondering how someone could look so sad at the idea of a ball. Emma had not seemed happy, either. Snow wondered if they would tell her what it was about.

Regina went into her bathroom; Emma followed. Regina winked at her, then lit the fire with a click of her fingers.

"Now you're showing off," Emma said, washing the last of the cinnamon off her face and neck. "But… I had so much fun today. I have to admit, the kid was annoying me and I wanted to tease her. But it's not her fault, where she comes from. She's actually kind of fun when you give her the chance."

Regina thought of Snow's betrayal, washing herself slowly, giving her more time to answer.

"Yes," she said in the end. "I… There is a part of my mother in me which makes me disinclined to forgive her. But she is a child. She did not know what she was doing. And I believe… I believe she has suffered a great deal. She only wanted to believe in love. My mother killed Daniel. Not her."

Emma had never heard Regina speak so explicitly and yet so devoid of emotion.

"I agree…" she said carefully. "But it's okay to be upset about it."

Regina smiled, drying her face. "I am not upset with Snow. She was sweet, today. She deserves every happiness, and if I can help to bring it to her, I shall. And my mother… There is no use being upset with her, either."

Emma frowned. "About your mother, I beg to differ. I know she's your mother by blood but that's the end of it. And blood means nothing, in the end."

Regina looked down at her stomach.

"I suppose I must hope you are right. But… She _is _my mother, Emma. She said she wants what's best for me… She did wrong, but I… I believe she acted out of love. Or of her bizarre interpretation of love."

Emma tried to understand. "She is your mother. What you think of her is up to you."

"She is all I have-"

"No!" Emma shouted suddenly. "Don't you dare say that." She rounded on Regina, her face red with fury that was as much a surprise to her as it was to her friend. "Don't you dare kiss me like you did last night and then say that evil witch is all you have. Do you not have me? Do I not count? What am I to you, anyway? A servant girl to hold you while you're scared, to keep you company when you need it… But nothing more."

Regina froze, silent, as she listened to the evidence of Emma's own pain, Emma's own insecurity.

"Who could ever truly _have _the orphan scullery maid?" Emma said, tears brimming in her eyes as she asked the room more than she asked Regina. "I should have known," she added bitterly, turning to the door.

Regina gasped but it was as if her mouth and throat were filled with dust again; she could not get it out, she choked on invisible powder as she tried to speak, tried to tell Emma how wrong she was.

"Emma," she spat breathlessly. "Emma, I-"

"Save it for your mother," Emma said angrily.

Regina was crying too, now. "Emma!" she sobbed, but the blonde was already slamming the door to her own bedroom, sealing it with magic. Regina beat helplessly against the door.

On the other side, Emma wished she could go back through. She knew Regina hadn't meant it, but her pride kept her from admitting any wrongdoing. Her pride, and her fear. No one had ever wanted her. Not even her parents. Why would Regina want her? Regina, the beautiful, breathtaking Queen…

"Regina, dear, are you alright?"

Cora brushed the last of the dust off her fingers and put an arm around her daughter.

"Here, let me help you," she said, finding Regina's ballgown and helping her into it. Regina let her mother dress her, moving in a kind of daze. She stayed in this strange stupor until Cora began to work on her hair, beginning to unpick the braid from the morning-

Regina pulled away.

"No, leave that, please," she said. Cora rolled her eyes.

"Regina, it is a peasant's style. Let me-"

"Mother, I want to keep it."

"Regina, you are being ridiculous."

Regina suddenly saw what was happening.

"Mother, what are you doing in here? Wait, did you-" she breathed in deep, remembering what she had learned from Emma. "You used magic! You used magic so I couldn't speak, so I would… Get out!"

There was such power in the command that Cora found herself leaving the room. The door slammed behind her. Regina gaped at it, then ran to the other door. She threw everything she had at it - which was a little excessive - it exploded.

Emma found herself laughing as Regina ran through the smoking doorway.

"I am so, so sorry, she cursed me, tied my tongue or something, I couldn't tell you how wrong you were but Emma, you're so, so wrong! I was upset, I didn't mean anything by it, only that she's the only family I've had since my father died and I was so alone but I didn't mean now, not now, because now I have you and you're more family and more wonderful and more love than I ever dreamed of having and Emma please please don't be angry because I have to go to this ball but if I have to go without you I don't know how I'll do it I mean I will but I just I really really want you to come-"

Emma placed a finger over Regina's desperate lips, then used her thumbs to brush away Regina's tears. Slowly, she replaced her finger with her mouth, gently kissing the most adorable Queen in the history of everything - in her opinion, at least.

"I'm sorry, too," she murmured. Regina hugged her tightly.

"I don't want to go," she mumbled into Emma's neck. Emma stroked her hair.

"Sure you do," she said. "It's going to be fun."

Regina stood up, aware that she must seem like a petulant child, yet unable to hold in her next question.

"How will it be fun?"

Emma grinned. "Well, for one thing, I will be there. For another, I may or may not have… added some interest to a few things."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Please don't damage your lungs with the cinnamon thing. See disclaimer in previous chapter.

This is a short update, but better than nothing, right? Enjoy! I hate to leave you hanging, but fanfiction can't be my priority right now I'm afraid. That said, your continued support (especially reviews, wink wink) is really encouraging, and I try to update where there is most demand.

* * *

The ball was a huge success. Nobles from far and wide came to congratulate the happy couple. When the pregnancy was announced, everybody oohed and ahed appropriately. Leopold kept his hands to himself, and Regina found herself free for most of the evening. Free to dance with Emma, to laugh with Snow, to eat the foods Emma told her were safe, to giggle as Leopold guzzled down several helpings of roast swan.

A modern song began, something with a swinging beat, and Emma whirled across the room in her red dress, tugging Regina by the hand.

"Dance with me," she said dramatically. They had kept their dancing to the side of the ballroom until now, but Emma seemed determined to make a scene. Regina knew she ought to be embarrassed but Emma's wide grin and twinkling eyes made it impossible. She tried a few jazz steps, her white gown contrasting perfectly with Emma's. She shook out her hair, letting it fall down her back then whip out behind her as she twirled.

Emma saw a light in Regina's eyes that was so happy she wondered if she had imagined it. But there it was again, catching hers, matching the wide smile on the brunette's face.

"You're so beautiful," Emma said, giving a matching smile.

"You too," Regina said. She clasped Emma's hand more tightly.

People were watching. People were staring. Almost everybody else had stopped dancing to give the stunning young couple the floor. It was not unheard of for two women to dance together, but it was not common, either, especially not in such a formal situation. And not the queen. Never the queen.

"Where did you learn to dance?" Regina asked. Emma gave a little shrug as she effortlessly executed the next step.

"I used to watch, when I was a child. What about you?"

"My father…" Regina trailed off, remembering, but her smile remained. For once, she was thinking of her father without feeling sad. She missed him, she always would, but she was happy with Emma and she knew he would be happy for her.

"He sounds like a great guy."

"He had his failings. But yes, he was."

The song drew to a close and something slower began to play. More couples started to dance; Regina tugged Emma closer, taking the lead and swaying them together to the clearly romantic piece.

"After this, perhaps we can retire?" she suggested. Emma smiled, their faces so close they were almost touching.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Emma replied.

She was interrupted from memorising every tiny feature of Regina's face by a hard tap to her shoulder.

"Miss Swan."

The stern address cut through the safe atmosphere they had created like a ragged blade.

"_Lady _Swan," Regina corrected, glaring at her mother. They had stopped dancing. Emma and Regina could both sense Cora's magic, making them invisible to everyone else in the crowded room.

"What do you want?" Regina demanded.

"Only to warn you, dear. You are drawing attention to yourselves. To your disgusting relationship. I think it would be better for everyone if you-"

"I think it would be better for everyone if you shut your mouth and left us alone," Emma said angrily. Cora reacted instinctively, raising her hand to magically silence the annoying blonde, but Emma was faster, reflecting the spell and adding something of her own so Cora's mouth was magically sealed and her body was frozen still.

Regina gasped, then smiled. She raised a fireball in her hand and held it right up to Cora's frightened eyes.

"You will leave us alone," Regina said forcefully. "We will let you go, you will not speak, and you will cause no more trouble. Anything else, and I mean anything, and you will be banished, not just from the castle but from the kingdom. You are my mother, and I love you, but I am done being your doll, your plaything, for you to dress up and control."

Emma beamed with pride at Regina's strength.

"What she said," Emma told Cora, then flicked her hand to release the spells. Cora let out an angry growl, then left the room. Emma took Regina's hand, realising it was shaking slightly.

"You were amazing," she said. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Nothing compared with you. You _stopped _her. Your magic is stronger…"

"So is yours," Emma insisted. "You just have to believe in yourself. It takes time, but you never have to be controlled by her any more."

Regina nodded. "Thank you."

They slipped out of the ballroom and up to Regina's chambers, Regina chuckling as Emma grabbed a plate of chocolate soufflés to take with them.

* * *

"Rumplestiltskin!"

Rumple rolled his eyes and poofed himself to Cora's room.

"What?" he asked, his frustration evident.

"Do not take that tone with me."

"You're lucky I'm taking any tone at all. What is it you want, dearie?"

"That Swan girl! You told me she was of no interest!"

"Indeed."

"But she has magic more powerful than mine!"

Rumple chuckled. "That's not exactly difficult, dearie, considering your power is based entirely in a book. Anyone can use it, given the training."

"But you had to have known-"

"Yes, Cora, I knew," he said exasperatedly. "But I have my own plans, and they do not concern you."

"Of course they concern me! She's... she is call using with my daughter."

Rumple laughed. "I suppose that's one word for it. But I wouldn't worry yourself. Regina seems happy, don't you think?"

"Yes, but she should not be happy," Cora said through gritted teeth. "If she is to do my bidding, she has to be..."

"Weak? Miserable? I'm afraid you may have grossly underestimated your daughter. I have always known she was of great value. You would do well to recognise her power."

Cora huffed. "Regina has no power. She is no more than a foolish, ungrateful child. I sacrificed everything to get her where she is, yet she refuses to notice my love!"

"That all sounds quite horrible, dearie, but it does not interest me in the slightest. You're right, the Swan girl's power is something to be reckoned with. It would be ill advised to tangle with her, especially while the extent of her abilities are unknown. Take care, Cora. You could get hurt."

"I didn't know you cared."

"Oh, I don't. It was merely a courtesy."

With that, he disappeared, returning to his search for the pirate and the thief. Cora paced around her room. She had no intention whatsoever of heeding his warning. She had to know what this Emma Swan was capable of, where she came from... and how she could be stopped.

"I may not be stronger than you," Cora muttered, "but Regina is my daughter, and I will outwit you if it is the last thing I do."

* * *

Emma and Regina could still hear faint sounds of music and laughter as they tumbled into Emma's room, mouths already locked together. Regina sealed the door with magic; Emma hummed in approval.

"You'll be better than me soon," she said when they broke apart for air. Regina chuckled and pushed her down onto the bed.

"I had fun tonight," she said breathlessly. Emma looked at her, the huge white dress, the wavy hair that still had a braid in it, the wanton expression on her face…

"Come hear." Emma's voice was husky, desperate. Regina was only too happy to comply.

Their dresses rustled as Regina stood between Emma's parted knees. Emma scooted back, pulling Regina onto the bed with her. They kissed, slower this time, their lips and tongues moving together in a gentle rhythm with ever deepening intensity. Regina gasped as their breasts pressed together, creating a delicious friction through their clothes. Emma gripped Regina's waist more tightly, smiling when Regina responded by thrusting her hips forward.

Regina blushed at herself; the move had been entirely involuntary. Emma felt the warmth of her cheeks and reduced the pressure of her fingers. Heat was pooling between her legs; her body ached with desire, but she knew… She knew not to rush. She resisted pushing her knee up between Regina's legs, she slowed their rocking motion, she kissed more softly…

"You're stopping," Regina whispered. She sounded confused. But also… Relieved. She held herself up on her arms, looking down at Emma. Emma brushed a strand of hair behind Regina's ear and looked deep into her eyes.

"Yes."

Regina closed her eyes for a moment, wanting to think without Emma's distracting gaze.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes still closed.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Emma murmured. Regina opened her eyes. Emma read her so well.

She leaned down, kissing Emma again. Emma turned her head, albeit reluctantly.

"I thought we were stopping?" she asked, raising an eyebrow to match the question.

Regina smiled. "We are. At this point. But that doesn't mean we can't continue at this point… Indefinitely…"

Emma grinned into the lips that met hers yet again.

They slowly divested themselves of their ballgowns, changing into nightclothes, even washing each other's hair. Emma watched, the proud teacher, as Regina conjured a new bed for her room, but they chose to sleep in Emma's. And they slept, entwined in each other's arms, peacefully dreamless, far into the next morning.


End file.
